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The board of directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved 165.1 million dollars in grant funding to support Ethiopia’s response to the health and economic impacts of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Approved on July 3, the funds will also be used for helping to ease fiscal pressure on the economy and help bolster Ethiopia’s COVID-19 National Emergency Response Plan. The Plan aims to expand social protection coverage for the most vulnerable, enhance the government’s capacity to contain the virus outbreak, and address macro-fiscal imbalances, as well as cushioning the effects of the crisis on the private sector.

The programme will increase the number of COVID-19 testing laboratories, train 45,000 health care workers in COVID-19 response, and aid in rolling out a risk-communication and community engagement strategy to raise awareness on transmission and prevention. The country’s health system remains weak, with only three hospital beds per 10,000 people. The package will assist in refurbishing 300 isolation centres, 34 treatment centres and 100 quarantine centres.

አንድን ነገር ለማድረግ ሲወስኑ ካደረጉት በኃላ ደስታን የሚሰጥዎ ስለመሆኑ አስቀድመው ያረጋግጡ። ከራስዎም አልፈው ለወገኖ መዳን ምክኒያት እየሆኑ ስለሆነ እናመሰግናለን።

Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy. Thank you for your donations to make also others #Staysafe. Together let’s #stopcovid19 spread in #Ethiopia!

In a telephone conversation he held with his Ethiopian Counterpart, Gedu Andargachew, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affaris Wang Yi said his country is committed to support Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to resolve their differences through dialogue regarding GERD.

Wang Yi said China pays a special attention to its relations with Ethiopia.

The two foreign ministers discussed ways of further cementing cooperation between their respective countries at bilateral and international levels.

Gedu expressed appreciation to China for organizing and successfully convening  the “Extraordinary China – Africa Virtual Summit” and “Ministerial Level Conference on Belt and Road International Cooperation”  that called for solidarity to combat COVID 19 pandemic.

He extended gratitude to China for supporting Ethiopia’s COVID 19 response pledging commitment to transform the relations between the two nations to a higher level.

Foreign Minister Gedu also briefed his Chinese counterpart on the recent virtual conference of the African Union Extraordinary Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss developments pertaining to GERD.

Gedu told the Chinese foreign minister that leaders convened at the AU video conference have agreed to seek African Solution to the GERD issue for it originates from the continent.

The negotiation on filling and annual operation of GERD is to be completed within the next two weeks, Gedu told his Chinese Counterpart.

Agreement has been reached that AU has to to report to the UN Security Council that it is handling the matter.

Foreign Minister Gedu requested china to continue support to GERD accord in a way it is being treated by the AU.

Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, to his part reaffirmed the commitment of his country to upgrade its bilateral relations with Ethiopia in multifaceted spheres of cooperation.

China supports Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to solve their differences over GERD through negotiations, Wang Yi underlined.

The Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the African Union Assembly was held virtually yesterday on June26, 2020 on the ongoing negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt with regards to the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a statement from the Prime Minister Office indicates.

The meeting was convened by South African President and African Union Chair, Cyril Ramaphosa, with the participation of Heads of State of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and members of the Assembly Bureau. The leaders underscored that the Nile and the GERD are African issues that must be given African solutions.

The Heads of State of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt provide a statement on the status of the negotiations.

According to the statement, the meeting set directions on the way forward. Accordingly, the three countries have agreed to conclude the negotiation and try to reach an agreement within the next two weeks.

Ethiopia is scheduled to begin filling the GERO within the next two weeks, during which the remaining construction work will continue.

It is in this period, that the three countries have agreed to reach a final agreement on few pending matters, the statement indicated.

The meeting also resolved to notify the United Nations Security Council that the African Union is seized of the matter.

It also instructed the African Union and members of the Bureau to provide technical support for the negotiations and urged Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to cease unnecessary media escalation, the Statement from the PMO underlined.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed held phone conversations with President of France Emmanuel Macron on development issues.

Prime Minister Abiy said he had productive telephone call with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron on development issues.

The Premier stated that he has discussed with President Emmanuel Macron on relations between the two countries and COVID 19 response activities.

“I appreciate the continued support of France for our growth endeavors”, tweeted Prime Minister Abiy.

Ethiopia and France signed a joint defense agreement, and concurred to strengthen bilateral relations and fight against extremism and maritime piracy in the region on March, 2019 during president’s visit to Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Emmanuel Macron also visited the churches of Lalibela, carved out of rock centuries ago.