A day after the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a declaration saying that the state of war between the two countries was over, plans are already underway to create a permanent peace.

Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday that his government wanted to implement a deal restoring relations with former foe Eritrea quickly, to “make up for lost opportunities” after a two-decade military standoff.

“My government is keen to implement the terms we laid out in our Joint Declaration so as to quickly make up for lost opportunities and create even better ones for our people”, Abiy said in a letter to Isaias that was posted on Twitter by Abiy’s chief of staff.

A peace deal ending the 1998-2000 border conflict has never been fully implemented and there has been tension between the neighbours ever since.

The countries have also agreed to re-establish trade and diplomatic ties.