United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday thanked Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn here for his country's "constructive role" in bringing peace to Somalia and South Sudan.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual high- level debate of the UN General Assembly, which opened here Wednesday, Xinhua quoted Ban's spokesperson as telling reporters here.

Ethiopia has been playing a major role in brokering peace in Somalia and South Sudan.

In August, the South Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition signed the Implementation Matrix of the Jan 23 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

The signing took place in Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa during the summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa on South Sudan.

The secretary-general and the prime minister, who is also chairperson of the African Union, emphasised the importance of strengthened cooperation and coordination to collectively address the rising threat of extremism, the spokesman added.