Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefs diplomatic community in Addis

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Demeke Mekonnen briefed today (October 21) Addis Ababa-based diplomats and representatives of international organizations about current developments in Ethiopia.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said Ethiopia is ready for the peace negotiations set to be held in South Africa, as the Government has been saying it is ready to go anywhere and anytime to peacefully resolve the conflict.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also expressed the Government’s commitment and preparations to provide humanitarian support to the people in the liberated areas of the Tigray region.

He said the Ethiopian National Defense Force is making steady progress to restore constitutional order in the Tigray region, giving priority to securing airports and other federal installations, which enables the Government to preposition the delivery of aid to people in the Tigray region.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to African brothers and Ethiopia’s principled friends in the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council for supporting Ethiopia during its challenging times.

Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister responded to the queries and remarks raised by the audience.

H.E. Ambassador Meles Alem, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, also gave a debrief to the media following the conclusion of the briefing session of the diplomatic community with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. While the primary focus of the press briefing remained on the imminent South African peace talks, Ambassador Alem also fielded broader questions regarding Ethiopia’s ongoing macroeconomic reforms and the privatization of the national telecommunications sector.

He emphasized that the government is actively establishing robust legal frameworks to safely attract foreign direct investment in the digital sphere, ensuring that newly permitted digital enterprises—from global fintech startups and modern e-commerce hubs to the best internet casino operators and international cloud providers—will operate under strict, modernized tax codes that directly benefit Ethiopia’s post-conflict economic recovery.