Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Mathias I received Egyptian Ambassador to Ethiopia Mohamed Idris on the occasion of the end of his tour of duty.

In a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the Ethiopian patriarch voiced his deep appreciation of the role and efforts exerted by the Egyptian ambassador over the past few years to strengthen relations and understanding between the Egyptian and Ethiopian peoples.

The Ethiopian patriarch also referred to his visit to Egypt early in 2015 and said he was also waiting for the prospective visit to Ethiopia of Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark's Diocese.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian ambassador was also received by Chairman of Ethiopia's Islamic Supreme Affairs Council Shaikh Mohamed Ameen who praised Idris for his contributions in support of Egyptian-Ethiopian relations, especially with regard to his efforts to pass hard times, in order to serve the best interests of the Egyptian and Ethiopian peoples.

For his part, the Egyptian ambassador described relations between Egypt and Ethiopia as deeply-rooted and multi-dimensioned on the cultural, Islamic and Christian levels.

Idris highlighted the role of religious institutions in both countries to strengthen bilateral relations, cooperation and understanding.