Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland arrived in Ethiopia for a working visit on Tuesday (January 8). During his visit, Mr. Leo Varadkar held talks with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed on bilateral, regional and international matters. The Prime Minister also paid a courtesy call on President Sahle-Work Zewde and met with the Acting Chairperson of the AU Commission as well as visiting the Lalibela Rock-Hewn churches and Irish Aid supported projects in Tigray Regional State. 2019 marks 25 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Ethiopia and 25 years of Irish Aid’s work in Ethiopia, and the visit…
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Ethiopian tourist attractions were exhibited to Chinese Tour Operators and Travel Agents in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China last week. The Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines organized a Tourism Promotion Forum to promote Ethiopia’s tourism potential and destinations, in Shenyang, on Saturday (December 26). The Forum was organized under the theme, “Explore Ethiopia: The Land of Origins.” Ethiopia is second to none in Africa with its plethora of unique tourist attractions although its tourism development and strategic promotional efforts have yet to lead to a necessary paradigm shift in the sector. There’s still much to be…
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The Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the UN, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie and Director General of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Fortuna Dibaco, acknowledged the end of Ethiopia’s two years as a Non-Permanent member of the UN Security Council at a press conference this week. Ethiopia’s membership ended in December 31. Ambassador Taye told the media this week that Ethiopia, during its time on the Council had underlined its role as a “firm, stalwart advocate of international peace and security spearheading principled and balanced positions on global issues of peace contributing constructively towards concerted and consistent efforts…
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Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu bade farewell to Ambassador Susanna Moorehead, the outgoing UK Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti and Permanent Representative to the AU and UN Economic Commission for Africa on January 2. The Minister thanked the Ambassador for her efforts to enhance and complement relations between Ethiopia and UK. He highlighted the true friendship and common vision both countries enjoyed including collaboration on a myriad of issues of mutual concern at regional and global levels. The Minister said: “Our long-standing historical and important relation has garnered practical outcomes as Ethiopia is undertaking sweeping reforms in good governance, opening up political…
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Mr. Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Ethiopia for an official visit on Thursday (January 3). During his visit, Mr. Wang Yi held separate talks with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, and with Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, on bilateral, regional and international matters.The State Councillor and Foreign Minister also paid a courtesy call on President Sahle-Work Zewde, as well as visiting AU Headquarters. During the meeting with the Prime Minister, both sides underlined the importance of the time-tested relations between the two countries. Acknowledging China’s immense contribution to Ethiopia, Prime…
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It has been a year of dramatic political changes in Ethiopia, with Monday (April 2) marking a historic day in its political history when Dr. Abiy Ahmed, at the age of 42, became one of Africa’s youngest leaders, sworn as the new Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. In his inaugural speech, Dr. Abiy began by extending his appreciation of former Premier Hailemariam Dessalegn for his exemplary decision to voluntarily step down as part of the solution for the instability that had affected the country in recent years. This exactly proved the former Prime Minister correct when he…
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Kenya has said it will begin to implement the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that the East African Community (ECA) has been negotiating with the European Union, although only Kenya and Rwanda have so far signed the agreements. Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi have been reluctant to do so. The issue was raised last week on the side-lines of the Africa-Europe High Level Forum in Vienna when President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with senior EU officials. Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement indicating President Kenyatta and President Kagame had agreed with the President of the European…
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A3’s UN resolution to finance AU-led peace operations under negotiation The African members of the UN Security Council, the A3, for 2018 were Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea; and for 2017 were Egypt, Senegal and Ethiopia. In October, the A3 held a series of meetings with the leadership of the United Nations, including the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping and Field Support as well as the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights to secure support from the United Nations Secretariat for a proposed draft resolution on the financing of African Union-led peace support operations authorized by and under the…
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Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen pays a working visit to Sudan Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen led a delegation to the Sudan for a working visit to the Republic of the Sudan last week (December 19-21). The delegation, which included State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene, was warmly welcomed in Khartoum by Vice-President Osman Mohamed Yesuf Kibir. The visit was aimed at boosting the bilateral relationship between the two countries in all areas in the spirit of the consensus reached during the recent exchange of high level visits. It is to be recalled that Prime Minister Dr. Abiy…
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In its two years as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018, issues in the Horn of Africa were, of course, a matter of priority for Ethiopia. Continuing our look at Ethiopia’s two years as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, we can see it was, as might be expected, consistently proactive in the relevant discussions on the Horn, including the UN force in Abyei (UNISFA), the UN/AU Hybrid force in Darfur (UNAMID), the lifting of sanctions on Eritrea, AMISOM in Somalia and the problems of South Sudan. The…