EU President Herman Van Rompuy on Wednesday met Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Brussels and discussed with him bilateral ties and regional issues.

"Both the European Union and Ethiopia see the value of further deepening our political and trade relations as well as tackling wider regional security challenges," Van Rompuy told reporters after the meeting.

They also talked about a number of regional issues related to the situation in the Horn of Africa region, including the situation in Somalia. "We agreed that we must all work towards a new future in regional relations, building a new atmosphere of economic integration and security cooperation," he said.

Van Rompuy noted that since Ethiopia holds the 2013 chairmanship of the African Union, the meeting also covered EU-African Union relations and in particular the preparation of the next EU-AU Summit in 2014. He stated that the EU is by far the most important trade partner for Ethiopia with over 40% of Ethiopia's exports going to Europe. The EU is an important investor with 300 European companies active in Ethiopia. The EU is also the biggest aid donor commitments totaling around 1 billion euro per year.

On his part, PM Hailemarima said his visit to Brussels was the first visit outside his country since he assumed his post.

"EU is our major strategic partner," he stressed and added that they have agreed to work on democratization and promotion of human rights in Ethiopia.

Also PM Hailemariam met and discussed with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.

After the meeting Mr Schultz said that "Ethiopia is a key EU ally in the Horn of Africa. I greeted the peaceful transition after the death of PM Meles Zenawi last year and paid tribute to Ethiopia's leading diplomatic and security role in the region and in the whole of Africa, especially thanks to its chairmanship of the African Union, its mediating role between Sudan and South Sudan and its support for counter-piracy operation and greater stability in Somalia.

Our conversation was open and constructive. I have shared with the Prime Minister my concerns, and those of many of my colleagues, on anti-terrorist legislation and the cases of jailed journalists in the country, such as Eskinder Nega or Reeyot Alemu.

I took note of the commitment of the Prime Minister to strengthen democracy in the country, allowing for greater pluralism and a freer civil society, to uphold the freedoms enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution.

The EU will continue to support the country on its path to greater stability, democracy and economic growth and in our common fight against poverty. Ethiopia's poverty reduction plans coupled with its economic performance have helped the country on its path to meet its Millennium Development Goals and lifted millions of people out of poverty."

From European Parliament