Ethiopia is the latest country to approve the African Union’s African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, after the Council of Ministers passed the deal on Saturday (February 2). It now goes to Parliament for a final vote before the instruments of ratification are deposited with the AU Commission. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said this decision and Ethiopia’s track record of advocating Pan African causes would help bring the reality of an integrated Africa. It was consistent with the Prime Minister’s vision of “creating a closer and full regional integration, where minds are open to ideas and markets…

A Ministerial-level Dialogue on the Implementation of China-Africa Peace and Security Initiative was held on Wednesday (February 6) in Addis Ababa. The dialogue, hosted by Forum on China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) co-chairs, China and Senegal, as well as by the African Union, was organized to facilitate implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit in the field of peace and security. State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene, led the Ethiopian delegation. The dialogue was co-moderated by Mr. Chen Xiaodong, Chairman of the Chinese Follow-Up Committee of FOCAC and Assistant Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, and…

The International Development Cooperation Minister of Norway, Mr. Dag-Inge Ulstein, made a four-day official visit to Ethiopia this week (February 4-7). During his visit, he had meetings with Foreign Minister, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu and State Minister of Finance, Admassu Nebebe, as well as visiting Tigray State where Norway supports a number of development projects. Dr. Workneh appreciated the coming of the Minister to Ethiopia as the country was undertaking a tremendous reform program in almost every sphere of national development. He noted that on the political level, the government had created a viable platform of consensus with the Diaspora, former…

The 15th Ethio-Djibouti Joint Ministerial Commission meeting was held in Djibouti on Wednesday and Thursday this week (January 30-31st). Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu led a high-level Ethiopian delegation which included several ministers, and the meeting offered the opportunity to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly on areas including transport, port, customs, health and education.  Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nebyat Getachew, told journalists that this regular Joint Commission Meeting provided a forum at which both sides can evaluate the progress of their relationship and resolution of any possible upcoming issues. The two countries are linked with…

Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh presented six-monthly Performance Report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the House of the People’s Representatives on Tuesday (January 29). He detailed the institutional reforms being undertaken in recent months, the changes designed to renew and reinvigorate the Ministry’s overall activities and strengths. He said; “Despite lingering and looming regional and geopolitical challenges our visibility and outreach is tremendous. We are continuously and consistently refining our diplomatic mission to confidently promote our national interests and stimulate holistic economic development in a highly uncertain, and highly unpredictable global system.” Ethiopia, of course, currently has 46 embassies…

President Sahle-Work Zewde has emphasized that Ethiopia will continue its commitment to enhance the participation of women in the military, police and civilian services of United Nations Peacekeeping. The President, who was speaking at the opening of the 3rd United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial preparatory meeting held at UNECA conference hall in Addis Ababa on Monday (January 28), emphasized that any peace keeping mission should give priority for the protection of women and other vulnerable groups; and underlined that the mainstreaming of women participation in peace keeping missions require effective coordination among the stakeholders. President Sahle-Work recognized that more was needed…

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed together with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and senior government officials on Sunday (January 27) officially inaugurated the Ethiopian Airlines’ (Ethiopian) state-of-the-art Addis Ababa Bole International Airport Terminal Expansion and the airlines’ 5-star Skylight Hotel, the largest in Ethiopia. The new terminal, funded and built by China for $363 million, triples the airport’s size, and raises the airline’s passenger handling capacity to 22 million passengers a year from its current 7 million. It includes the latest technology security systems, self-check-in machines, self-boarding system, lounges, duty-free shops and other amenities as well…

The President of Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, arrived in Ethiopia for a four-day working visit at the weekend. During his visit; President Steinmeier held talks with President Sahle-Work Zewde on bilateral, regional and international matters and paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed as well as meeting civil society and business representatives. The President visited a vocational training center in Addis Ababa, and the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site on Tuesday (January 29). President Sahle-Work hosted a state banquet in honour of President Steinmeier at the National Palace on Monday, attended by members…

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed arrived in Rome on Sunday (January 20) for an official visit at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The two Prime Ministers held a press conference after their talks which Dr. Abiy described as productive. He said: “The comprehensive discussion which I had with Giuseppe Conte was important to take the bilateral relationship between the two nations to the next level.” He called enhanced cooperation between Ethiopia and Italy in the areas of development, peace, and tourism, and said Italy had agreed to finance the first stage of a feasibility study for a…