ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea are celebrating their recent diplomatic thaw by marking the new year at their border.

The chief of staff for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says in a Twitter post that Abiy and longtime Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki are visiting the Bure Front along with members of their militaries.

The former bitter rivals have made a dramatic reconciliation since Abiy shortly after taking office announced that Ethiopia would fully embrace a peace deal that ended a bloody 1998-2000 border war.

Embassies have reopened, telephone lines have been restored and commercial flights between the capitals have resumed.

Abiy on Monday said that "as of today, Ethiopian and Eritrean people will prosper together and march in unison. ... The last five months have brought hope and reconciliation."