On March 8, 2023 local time, the 5th Anniversary Celebration of the Operation of the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway and the Award Ceremony for the Locomotive of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway were grandly held at Rab Station in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Zhao Zhiyuan, Ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, Yang Yihang, Economic and Commercial Counselor, Sid, Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, Deng Boru, Minister of State of the Ministry of Transport, Hassan Humid Ibrahim, Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment of Djibouti, Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway Company General Manager Abdi and relevant responsible comrades of the Ethiopian Branch of China Railway Second Bureau participated in the event, and awarded locomotive medals to employees from China, Ethiopia, and Djibouti who had made outstanding contributions to the construction and operation of the Algeria-Djibouti Railway.

The Yaji Railway started construction in 2012 and opened for operation in 2018. The people of China Railway No. Not easy, very extraordinary. Today, the process of localization of the Yaji-Djibouti Railway continues to accelerate, the safety construction has achieved fruitful results, the transportation service projects are becoming more and more abundant, and the passenger and freight revenue has increased rapidly, which has greatly promoted the rapid economic and social development of the areas along the line and the continuous improvement of the level of interconnection. It has played an important role in helping the residents of villages along the route and promoting local employment.

Ambassador Zhao Zhiyuan pointed out that this year marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Algeria-Djibouti Railway and the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. With the joint efforts of China, Egypt, and Kyrgyzstan, the Algeria-Djibouti Railway has achieved fruitful results and has become a model for China-Africa cooperation. A vivid microcosm of the Belt and Road Initiative. He emphasized that the Algeria-Djibouti Railway has made important contributions to accelerating the industrialization process, increasing local employment and income, improving independent development capabilities, and promoting regional sustainable development and integration by driving the development of the economic belt along the route. At the same time, he pointed out that the Algeria-Djibouti Railway has great potential. It will make greater contributions to the prosperity of Ethiopia and even the East African region.

Sid pointed out that in the past five years, the operation team of the Algeria-Djibouti Railway has made remarkable achievements in operation, maintenance, and capacity building. and a strong future.

Deng Bolu mentioned that since the Yajibouti Railway was put into operation, it has continuously transported key and strategic materials such as chemical fertilizers, wheat, and edible oil to Ethiopia, and at the same time transported Ethiopian coffee, grains and other products to the port of Djibouti. It has greatly promoted regional economic and social integration, trade and industrial facilitation between Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The construction and operation of the Algeria-Djibouti Railway embodies the hard work and ardent expectations of the people of China, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The main artery of China's national economy and the lifeline of the East African plateau are veritable roads of peace, development, and hope. The operation and maintenance team of China Railway Second Bureau will continue to overcome difficulties and work hard, open a new chapter for the safe and sustainable development of the Yaji Railway, and make greater contributions to China-Africa friendly relations and practical cooperation.

The Asia-Djibouti Railway is jointly constructed and operated by China Railway Second Bureau and China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd., connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti. It is the first transnational electrified railway in Africa and is known as "Tanzara Railway in the New Era" and "Railway to the Future" ". Since its operation in 2018, the Algeria-Djibouti Railway has made important contributions to the economic and social development of Ethiopia and countries along the route, as well as mass transportation and employment and prosperity.Editor/Ma Xue