Ethiopian Airlines is to restart its flights to Eritrea for the first time since 1998 when conflict erupted between the two nations over their disputed border, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.

Mr Abiy made the announcement at a state dinner on Tuesday night in honour of a high-level Eritrean delegation visiting Ethiopia for the first time in decades.

The meeting came about after the Mr Abiy said Ethiopia would comply with a border commission ruling to hand over contested border territories to Eritrea.

"There will be lands swapped between the two countries but that will not matter - there will not be a border between us as our relationship will strengthen," Mr Abiy was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year conflict - but a border war five years later killed tens of thousands.

Diplomatic ties have been cut between the two countries for almost 20 years.