Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Addis Ababa Monday on a two-day visit to Ethiopia.
Abe is scheduled to meet with his Ethiopian counterpart Hailemariam Desalegn later in the day.
He is expected to visit the African Union headquarters on Tuesday.
The Japanese premier began his visit by honoring the legacy of Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila, who won the gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, breaking the marathon record.
"I remember vividly watching Abebe Bikila’s victory that day in Tokyo," he told a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Bikila's accomplishment.
Bikila’s 45-year-old son Yetnayet offered the Japanese premier a framed photo of his father in action during the Tokyo Olympics.
Bikilia, a legendry Ethiopian barefoot runner who died in 1973 at the age of 41, was the first athlete in history to win the Olympic marathon twice.
In 1960, Bikila won the marathon in the Rome Olympics, running barefoot.
Four years later, he donned shoes and won the same race in the Tokyo Olympics.
By Mohamed Taha Tawakel
englishnews@aa.com.tr
