Ethiopia and France agreed their first military cooperation accord on Tuesday, a deal that includes helping the landlocked nation build a navy, as Paris seeks to boost economic ties in Africa's second-most populous country. Macron wants to leverage a mixture of Paris' soft power in culture and education and its military know-how to give it a foothold at a time when Ethiopia is opening up. "We are here in a friendly country where we want to strengthen and build a new page in our common history," Macron said. France's history in Ethiopia dates back to the start of the 20th century. "The railway between Djibouti and France is 100 years old and the work that we now want to complete with President Macron is for the long-term.

Source: Ethiopian News March 12, 2019 21:56 UTC