Category: Politics

Addis Ababa: The new Indian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai, has pledged to deepen cooperation with Ethiopia in many dimensions.

The ambassador, who presented his credentials to President Sahle-Work Zewde, told ENA that he has received guidance from both Indian and Ethiopian leaderships to deepen the cooperation between the countries.

‘Both these countries are having a very long history of cooperating each other. This cooperation has many dimensions and these dimensions can further be widened and scaled up.’

The ambassador pointed out that there are many developmental priorities of India and Ethiopia which need to be addressed together; and the leaderships at the top are closely working on these issues.

Ethiopia’s recent membership in the BRICS will further help to work together to ensure Ethiopia’s participation to maximize value and voices of developing countries within the group, he stated.

‘This year, Ethiopia has become a full member of BRICS and we as the founding member of BRICS, are workin
g closely with Ethiopia to ensure that their participation in BRICS brings more value and a new dimension to this multilateral forum, and become the true voice for developing countries.’

Middle East, Asia, and Pacific Countries Affairs Director-General, Gebeyehu Ganga said Ethiopia and India have a well-established relationship on both bilateral and multilateral political matters.

Ethiopia and India have a well-established relationship encompassing investment, trade, people-to-people exchanges, science and technology cooperation, and collaboration on both bilateral and multilateral political matters, he pointed out.

India is among the top five investors in Ethiopia, according to the director-general.

Gebeyehu added that Ethiopia has been an African voice for so long and the countries will strive to be leading voices for the South-South cooperation.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Prosperity Party (PP) Vice President Adem Frah has held talks with Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) President Yang Wanming today.

According to the Facebook of PP, Adem said on the occasion that his party will strive to further consolidate the strong historical relationships at both government and party levels.

The vice president added that the party wants to elevate the close and principle based relationship between Ethiopia and China in all fields to stronger cooperation and for mutual benefits.

He further noted that both countries have been striving to ensure sustained economic growth by collaborating on common interests, and many Chinese investors are engaged in various sectors in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is one of the leading Africa countries that has been registering remarkable economic growth, Adem noted, adding that the country has in particular attained achievements in agriculture, renewable energy supply, manufacturing, and tourism sectors.

He a
lso stated that there are vast investment opportunities that can be developed with investors from friendly countries.

CPAFFC President Yang Wanming said on his part that expressed his appreciation for the achievements registered by Prosperity Party in political, economic, and social spheres.

Mentioning Ethiopia’s important role in the region and the whole of Africa, the president said that relations will be strengthened in various fields and the country’s membership in BRICS will help create additional areas of cooperation.

Wanming also stated the desire of China to strengthen people-to-people relations. To realize this, city-to-city relations with nine Ethiopian cities would be further consolidated and relations with new cities will be established.

The president promised that China will work diligently to ensure the benefit of the two countries by strengthening cooperation in all fields as Ethiopia is a strategic partner for China.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Nebil Mahdi held discussion with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan James Pitia Morgan on ways of enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the two sides have discussed various bilateral and regional issues, according to the Ethiopian Embassy in Juba, South Sudan.

Particularly, the discussion emphasized on the way how to organize the Border Governors and the Joint Ministerial Meetings which are planned to be held in the coming months between the two countries.

Speaking at the meeting, James Pitia Morgan expressed gratitude for the Ethiopian Ambassador’s courtesy and affirmed that South Sudan has no border disputes with Ethiopia.

Furthermore, the Minister emphasized that the timing of the annual Governors and joint Ministerial meetings, involving key governmental institutions from both countries, will be communicated once finalized by the respective departments.

Source: E
thiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selassie said the decision to construct a new building demonstrated Switzerland’s determination to further strengthen its long-term relationship with Ethiopia.

Foreign Minister, Taye Atske-Selassie and Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis have laid a cornerstone for the construction of the new Embassy of Switzerland in Addis Ababa today.

At the cornerstone laying ceremony, Foreign Minister, Taye Atske-Selassie said that the Ethiopian government attached strong significance to the relationship with Switzerland.

Thus,Taye reiterated that the decision to construct a new building signals Switzerland’s determination to further strengthen its long-term relationship with Ethiopia.

‘I was stunned to realize that the new building has a mix of architectural concepts and I’m happy to note that it will have a footprint of one of the most outstanding historical houses that is somewhere in the northern Addis Ababa palace called Sheik Ojele Palace.’

Moreover, he added that the const
ruction of a new structure is a practical demonstration of Addis Ababa as a diplomatic hub.

The Foreign Minister of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis said on his part that the construction of a new embassy is a manifestation of what importance Switzerland attaches to Ethiopia.

“We are very proud that we are able to mark this moment by a new building, investing in a new country, in Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa.It’s an important evidence of willingness to strengthen our relations,’ he assured.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The newly appointed Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia, George Kwanya said the two east African nations have been solidifying their long-standing relationship and broadening cooperation in various fields.

Approached by ENA shortly after presenting his credential to President Sahlework Zewde on Friday, the ambassador reaffirmed his country’s commitment to reinforce the multifaceted ties with Ethiopia.

‘We are going to work together (with Ethiopia) to ensure the commitment that we made and implement it,’ Ambassador Kwanya emphasized.

Highlighting historical relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya, the ambassador stated that the countries have an excellent relationship that goes back to many decades.

Over the years, Ethiopia and Kenya have fostered a robust partnership, evidenced by numerous cooperation agreements encompassing education, healthcare, transportation, and in other sectors, he pointed out.

This strong bond is further solidified by the Special Status Agreement signed in 2012, Ambassador
Kwanya noted.

‘We have a very special relationship with Ethiopia and it is demonstrated in the special status agreement that we signed in 2012. There are numerous projects underway collaboratively, including the LAPSSET (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor) initiative.’

To further expand the horizons of their ties, the ambassador elaborated that Ethiopia and Kenya have been exploring avenues, including exchange of high-level visits by their leaders.

‘These exchanges of high-level visits have provided us with an opportunity to discuss how to enhance the existing relationship,’ Ambassador Kwanya highlighted.

He also cited the frequent visits by the Kenyan President William Ruto to Addis Ababa and reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Nairobi, Kenya, that proves the relationship between the two countries is bearing fruit.

Most notably, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent state visit to Kenya serves as a prime example of this enduring partnership.

Speaking about the recent Ethio-Ken
yan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting which was held last month in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Kwanya revealed that the meeting has further solidified those commitments through the signing of several new bilateral agreements.

We are hopeful that these agreements will ensure the commitments to be effectively implemented, Ambassador Kwanya stressed.

He also mentioned those identified areas include energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and tourism in order to intensify cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya.

“We share a common border, and our people share common languages and cultural practices, fostering frequent exchanges,” he added.

On his part, the Director-General of African Affairs at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fiseha Shawol stressed the need for strengthening of the Ethio-Kenyan relationship.

“For us, the relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya is the most diverse and biggest in Africa. And there are about 36 agreements in place, with several areas of cooperat
ion,” Ambassador Shawol stated.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie and his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis have laid today the cornerstone for the construction of the new Switzerland embassy building in Addis Ababa.

Recall Foreign Affairs Minister Taye held discussion on Monday with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on ways of strengthening bilateral relations and regional issues.

The Swiss foreign minister is in Ethiopia for an official working visit and held rigorous talks on ways of further deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Following his visit, the statement issued by the Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs underscored that Ethiopia, the second largest country in Africa in terms of population, is a strategically important partner for Switzerland, particularly in the areas of business, science and migration.

According to the Ministry, Foreign Minister Cassis’s visit is taking place at a critical juncture for the strategic planning and direction of Switzerland’s new strategy for sub
-Saharan Africa, which is currently being drawn up and is set to be implemented from 2025.

After concluding his official visit to Ethiopia, the minister is expected to visit Djibouti and Kenya.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency