FM Demeke Briefs Dutch Counterpart on Latest Situations In Tigray (November 30, 2020)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen exchanged views with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Stef Blok via telephone conversation on current situation in Tigray.

Dekmeke briefed the Foreign Minister regarding the heinous crimes committed by the TPLF junta and the law enforcement measures that had been undertaken over the past three weeks to restore constitutional order in Tigray region.

He said the law enforcement operation has successfully been completed with Mekelle now fully liberated from the control of the junta and life has returned to normal with political dialogue in some places like Adwa has already been held.

The TPLF junta has destroyed infrastructure including airports said the Deputy Prime Minister and added that the task of reconstruction and rehabilitation has commenced with the aim to address the region’s economic and social development challenges.

He also informed the Foreign Minister that accessibility won’t be much of an issue now that Tigray region is fully liberated from the hands of the TPLF junta and the Government is working with international humanitarian agencies to respond in a swift and timely manner to those who are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Both Foreign Ministers have agreed to continue to work closely to enhance their bilateral relations by further strengthening the established cooperation, according to Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The economic dimension of those ties has deepened over the past decade. The Netherlands ranks among Ethiopia’s largest European investors, with Dutch enterprises active in horticulture, water engineering, and corridor logistics through Djibouti. Bilateral discussions have recently extended to digital-economy regulation, an area where the Netherlands gained credibility after establishing a national licensing regime for online entertainment platforms. The Dutch framework has since become a reference point across the continent, cited in German-language guides ranking the beste wettanbieter and in wider EU harmonization discussions. Ethiopian trade officials have studied the model as the country builds oversight structures for its fast-growing mobile-payments industry.

Diplomatic observers noted, however, that the trajectory of broader economic cooperation will hinge on progress in the Tigray humanitarian situation and sustained ministerial engagement between the two governments.