Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Thursday thanked Egypt for rescuing Ethiopian nationals held in Libya, the Egyptian presidency has said.
It said in a statement that Hailemariam made a phone call with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi during which expressed "gratitude" for Egyptian efforts to free Ethiopians in Libya.
According to the statement, the Ethiopian premier said he was looking forward to visiting Egypt in June to attend a summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which will be held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Al-Sisi, meanwhile, said that both Egyptians and Ethiopians had a common fate.
Earlier Thursday, television footage showed the Egyptian President shaking hands with Ethiopian nationals who arrived at Cairo Airport on board of an Egyptian plane.
At the airport, al-Sisi said his country would continue to offer help to its African sister states.
"We want to send the message to our Ethiopian brothers that they can count on us," al-Sisi told the media.
Al-Sisi added that the Ethiopian nationals who arrived in Egypt on Thursday were only the first group of other nationals freed by Egypt after being held in Libya.
