On Wednesday, 17 January, President Georges Pompidou of France, flew to Addis Ababa for an official visit which ended this morning, Friday. Yesterday, he had talks lasting about an hour with the 80-year-old Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie. Both statesmen agreed that the French presence in the neighbouring territory of the Afars and Issas, just visited by the President, helped to ensure stability in the area. The Emperor hoped links between Djibouti and his country would be further strengthened. President Pompidou laid a wreath at the Ethiopian victory monument, commemorating the Emperor's return to his capital after the defeat of the occupying Italian forces in 1941.

The French foreign Minister Maurice Schumann had separate talks with Ethiopian officials who presented a memorandum of possible new French economic and technical help. The Ethiopian press paid glowing tribute to the French President and recalled the friendly relations between the two countries going back as far as the 1843 Treaty of Friendship.

SYNOPSIS: President Georges Pompidou of France made an official visit to Ethiopia where he met Emperor Haile Selassie and dignitaries at a ceremony in Addis Ababa. Among the scheduled official ceremonies was a significant one, recalling crucial moments in the life of the 80-year-old Emperor. President Pompidou laid a wreath at the Ethiopian victory monument which commemorates Haile Selassle's triumphant return to his country after the defeat of the Italian occupying forces in 1941. The French President's visit lasted two days, and follows his tour of The Territory of the Afars and Issas.

Emperor Haile Selassie and President Pompidou are agreed in recognising what they called "the stability" which the French presence in Djibouti brings to the area.

The cheetah at the entrance to the Imperial Palace didn't alarm the Head of Republican France, and in fact the President made friends with it; just as ever since the 1843 Treaty of Friendship, France and Ethiopia have been friends.

To cement the friendship still further, President Pompidou, and Foreign Minister Schumann at his right, sit down together with the Emperor and his officials. It's understood that the Ethiopians presented a memorandum to Mr. Schumann suggesting new ways for French economic and technical help.