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“Ethiopia is undertaking all efforts to address the humanitarian needs of Ethiopians in the Tigray region & stands ready to collaborate & work closely, constructively with all our partners in a spirit of goodwill to address humanitarian needs.”

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has put forth a challenge to all Ethiopians to go out June 21^st to cast their vote.

The Premier further urged Ethiopians to join the effort to adorn the country through the already started tree planting campaign as per the national Green Initiative Legacy.

“All Government offices will be closed on this day to enable us to exercise our democratic right to vote and to impart our civic duty in greening Ethiopia”, he said, adding “We will make up for work by going in full day the Saturday that follows”

ከሁሉም የአሜሪካ ግዛቶች የተውጣጡ በዳያስፖራ ኢትዮጵያውይን የተቋቋሙ ማህበራት እና የኮሚዩኒቲ አደረጃጀቶች ተወካዮች በተገኙበት የበይነ መረብ ውይይት ተካሂዷል።

በውይይቱ ወቅት ክቡር አምባሳደር ፍጹም ባስተላለፉት ልዕክት እነዚህ አደረጃጀቶች የኢትዮጵያ ድምጽ እንዲሰማ እያደረጉ ላለው አስተዋጽኦ አመስግነው እየተደረገ ካለው ጫና አኳያ በበተለጠ ቅንጅት መስራት እንደሚያስፈልግ ተናግረዋል።

የየማህበራቱ ተወካዮችም በኢትዮጵያ ላይ የተከፈተው ያልተገባ ጫና እና የሃሰት ፕሮፖጋንዳ እስኪወገድ ድረስ ሁሉን አቀፍ እንቅስቃሴውን እንደሚቀጥሉ ቃል ገብተዋል። በመላው አሜሪካ ለሚኖሩ ዳያስፖራ ወገኖችም በዚህ ታሪካዊ ወቅት ከኢትዮጵያ ጎን በመቆም አለኝታነታቸውን እንዲያሳዩ ጥሪ አቅርበዋል።

በኢትዮጵያ ዳያስፖራ ኤጀንሲና በኢፌዴሪ ሚሲዮኖች አስተባባሪነት በመላው ዓለም ከሚገኙ የዳያስፖራ ወጣት ተወካዮች ጋር በሃገራችን ወቅታዊ ሁኔታ ላይ የመከረና በአይነቱ የመጀመሪያው የሆነ የበይነ መረብ ውይይት ተካሄደ።

በውይይት መድረኩ ላይ በክብር እንግድነት የተገኙት የኢፌዴሪ ም/ጠ/ሚ እና የወ/ጉ/ሚ ክቡር አቶ ደመቀ መኮንን ባስተላለፉት መልዕክት ኢትዮጵያ ሁሉን አሳታፊ በሆነ ለውጥ ውስጥ እንደምትገኝ ገልጸው፣ ይኽው የለውጥ ሂደት በስኬት እንዲጠናቀቅ ወጣቶችን ጨምሮ ሁሉም ሃገር ወዳድ ኢትዮጵያውያን በያሉበት ርብርብ ሊያደርጉ እንደሚገባ አሳስበዋል። አክለውም ኢትዮጵያ ከያቅጣጫው ፈተና ቢበዛባትም በጽናት ወደፊት በመራመድ ላይ እንዳለች ጠቅሰው፣ ፈተናዎቹ የህዝቡን አንድነት ይበልጥ እያጠናከሩት መምጣታቸውን ገልጸዋል። የፈተኛዎቹ መብዛት ኢትዮጵያ ሁሉንም አቅሞቿን አስተባብራ እንድትጠቀም የሚጠይቅ መሆኑን አንስተው፣ ይህ ትውልድም እንደቀደምት አባቶቹ ታሪክ ሰሪነቱን የሚያሳይበት ወቅት ላይ እንደሚገኝ ገልጸዋል።

በተለይም ወቅቱ በሃገራችን ታሪክ ውስጥ ወሳኝ ሚና የሚኖራቸውን ነጻና ሁሉን አሳታፊ ምርጫን እንዲሁም ሁለተኛው ዙር ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ህዳሴ ግድብ ሙሌት የሚከናወንበት መሆኑን አስታውሰው፣ ከዚህ አንጻር በሃገራችን ላይ እየተሰነዘሩ ያሉ ያልተገቡ ጫናዎችን ለመቋቋም የዳያስፖራ ወጣቶች የሚያከናውኑት የተደራጀና ፈጣን የፐብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲ ስራ ወቅታዊና አስፈላጊ መሆኑን አስገንዝበዋል። በመሆኑም ይህንን አስቸጋሪ ጊዜ በስኬት መሻገር እንዲቻል ሚሲዮኖችና የሚመለከታቸው አካላት በሙሉ ፈተናውን የሚመጥን ጥረት ማድረግ እንዳለባቸው፣ ወጣቱም የተናበበ የፐብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲ ስራ ሊያከናውን እንዲሁም ሁሉም አካላት በቃላቸው መሰረት ለመገኘት ጥረት ማድረግ እንዳለባቸው አሳስበዋል።

ለተሳታፊዎቹ የእንኳን ደህና መጣችሁ መልዕክት ያስተላለፉት የኢትዮጵያ ዳያስፖራ ኤጀንሲ ዋና ዳይሬክተር ክብርት ወ/ሮ ሰላማዊት ዳዊትም በበኩላቸው ዳያስፖራው ለሃገሩ አለኝታ መሆኑን በሚያረጋግጥ መልኩ ሃገራዊ ፕሮጀክቶችንና ጥሪዎችን ለመደገፍ ከፍተኛ መጠን ያለው ሃብት አሰባስቦ እየላከ በመሆኑ ምስጋናቸውን ገልጸዋል። በፐብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲ ዘርፍም ዳያስፖራው የኢትዮያን ገጽታ ለማጠልሸትና ያልተገባ ጫና ለማሳደር የሚንቀሳቀሱ አካላትን በመቃወም ታላላቅ የተቃውሞ ሰልፎችን፣ የትዊተር ዘመቻዎችንና የማግባባት ስራዎችን በማከናወን ላይ እንደሚገኝ ገልጸው፣ በዚህም ተስፋ ሰጪ ውጤቶች መታየታቸውን አንስተዋል። ዋና ዳይሬክተሯ አክለውም የዳያስፖራው አንድ ክፍል የሆነውን ወጣት ዳያስፖራ በማሳተፍ የተጠናከረ የፐብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲና ሌሎች ተያያዥ ስራዎችን በተጠናከረ ሁኔታ መስራት እንዲቻል የሚመለከታቸው አካላት ሁሉ የየበኩላቸውን አስተዋጽኦ ማበርከት እንደሚጠበቅባቸው አሳስበዋል።

በመድረኩ ላይ በፓናሊስትነት የቀረቡ ክቡራን አምባሳደሮችም በኢትዮጵያ ላይ እየተፈጸሙ ያሉ ያልተገቡ ጫናዎችን ለመከላከል በሚያስተባብሯቸው ሚሲዮኖች እየተከናወኑ ያሉ ተግባራትን አስረድተዋል። ክቡራን አምባሳደሮቹ አክለውም ወጣት ዳያስፖራዎች ካላቸው የቴክኖሎጂ ቀረቤታና በሚኖሩበት ሃገር ከሚገኙ ሰዎች ጋር የፈጠሩትን ቅርበትና ማህበራዊ ትስስር ተጠቅመው ያለማመንታት የኢትዮጵያን እውነት ለማስረዳትና በየሃገሩ የኢትዮጵያ ወዳጆችን ለማብዛት፣ ከሚዲያ አካላትም ጋር በቅርበት ለመስራት ጥረት ሊያደርጉ እንደሚገባና ከዚህም አንጻር የሚመሯቸው ሚሲዮኖች አስፈላጊውን ድጋፍ ለማድረግ ዝግጁ መሆናቸውን አስገንዝበዋል። በህብረትና በመናበበ እስከተሰራ ድረስ ውጤት ማግኘትና አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታዎችን መቀየር እንደሚቻልም ገልጸዋል።

የዳያስፖራ ወጣቶችም በበኩላቸው በያሉበት አካባቢ በማከናወን ላይ ያሉትን የፐብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲ ስራ ያቀረቡ ሲሆን፣ ጥረታቸው በተሻለ ውጤት እንዲታጀብ አደረጃጀቶቻቸውን ማጠናከርና ወደፊት ወጥተው መስራት እንዳለባቸው፣ የሃገር ገጽታ ግንባታ ትኩረታቸው ሊሆን እንደሚገባና በስሜት ሳይሆን በዕውቀትና በምክንያታዊነት መንፈስ መስራት እንዳለባቸው እንዲሁም ኢትዮጵያ ከእነሱ የምትፈልገውን ሁሉ ለማድረግ ዝግጁ መሆናቸውን ገልጸዋል።

መድረኩ ሲጠቃለል ክብርት ዋና ዳይሬክተር ባስተላለፉት መልዕክት ወጣቶች በሃገራቸው ጉዳይ ላይ በጋራ ለመስራት ስላሳዩት መነሳሳት አመስግነው፣ ወጣት ዳያስፖራዎች ሃይላቸውን አስተባብረውና አንድነታቸውን አጠናክረው ከሰሩ በሁሉም ዘርፍ የሃገራቸውን ጥቅም ማስከበር እንደሚችሉ አረጋግጠዋል።

በመድረኩ ላይ ከ400 በላይ የኢፌዴሪ ሚሲዮኖችን የወከሉ ክቡራን አምባሳደሮች፣ የሚሲዮን መሪዎች፣ ዲፕሎማቶች እንዲሁም የወጣቶች ዳያስፖራ ተወካዮች ተገኝተዋል።

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed together with Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, Adanech Abiebie and other senior officials have inaugurated the grand Meskel Square-Addis Ababa City Hall project built at a cost of 2.6 Billion Birr as part of the Beautifying Sheger initiative.

The Meskel Square-Addis Ababa City Hall Project that mainly contains the refurbishment of Meskel Square is the most iconic public gathering space in the modern history of Addis Ababa that has been hosting several cultural, religious, political, entertainment  and sports activities for more than 60 years.

Meskel Square annually hosts the Meskel-Demera Religious Festival which has already been inscribed by UNESCO as world’s intangible heritage. The name Meskel derives from the Amharic term Holy Cross.

Another activity included in the project is the beautification of the 3.5km Churchill Avenue that stretches from Addis Ababa City Hall to Meskel Square. The activities on the avenue include roadside greenery works and side walk developments, among others.

On the occasion, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, Adanech Abiebie said the project would have not been realized without close and proper follow up of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who initiated it.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, addressing the gatherings on the inaugural ceremony, said knowledge and goodheartedness is backbone of development calling Ethiopians to join hands and contribute to the efforts underway to realize better Ethiopia.

“Together we will turn the Horn of Africa into the Powerhouse of Africa through concerted efforts” said the Premier calling for regional integration for betterment of the region.

He added “As Ethiopia served as a rising star in the decolonization of Africa, we will also make our nation beacon of continental prosperity” 

Individuals and institutions contributed to successful completion of the project have been recognized on the occasion.

In a pre-recorded video message, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen said Ethiopia is disappointed by the campaign that is being waged against its handling of the situation in the Tigray region.

He said “what Ethiopia needs now is concrete support and, a mission to undermine the unity, territorial integrity and the cohesion of the Ethiopian state, under the guise of humanitarian concern is not acceptable”

Ethiopia stands ready to work positively and constructively with all its partners to scale up humanitarian assistance, rebuild social cohesion, and restore basic services in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“Therefore, what the country needs at this critical moment is the support of friends and partners and not uncalled for pressure that would complicate the situation further”, he noted.

Demeke explained “It is extremely regrettable to see that some within the international community have embarked on a mission to undermine the unity, territorial integrity and the cohesion of the Ethiopian state, under the guise of humanitarian concern. We urge these individuals and partners to desist from these unhelpful activities”

Deputy Prime Minister added that accusations labelled against Ethiopia of using hunger as a weapon of war on its own citizens, is an egregious falsehood, and in no way calculated to help foster peace, harmony and stability.

It should be noted that, in the first round of humanitarian response, effort was made to reach out to 4.5 million people in the Tigray region through the delivery of food and non-food items. In the second and third rounds, the relief efforts were able to reach out to 5.2 million people. So far, 170,798 metric tons of foods, worth 135 million USD have already been distributed, he indicated.

Currently, 6 operators namely World Food Program, World Vision, CARE, Relief Society of Tigray, Food for the Hungry and the Ethiopian government are providing food assistance in the region.

“The Ethiopian government has not only demonstrated its willingness and commitment to work with the international community to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, but it has also provided full and unfettered access for humanitarian actors to operate in all parts of the region, through a simplified blanket approval process. In the areas where safe movement of humanitarian cargo are strained, military escort is offered as a matter of last resort to reach those in need”, the Deputy Prime Minister underscored.

Ethiopia has credible evidence indicating that some actors have attempted to smuggle weapons to arm the terrorist cell under the guise of humanitarian assistance, and this is unacceptable, he stressed.

“There is no doubt about the enormity of the challenges in the Tigray region. It is through working with the government to accelerate the humanitarian response to reach out to every person in need that will address the problem. The Ethiopian government is well aware of its responsibilities towards its own citizens and its obligations under international humanitarian law”

He added saying “The Ethiopian government is using every ounce of its strength to mobilize all the necessary resources from within the country to reach out those in need, but its resources are limited. This is where the support and solidarity of the international community becomes all the more critical. We are grateful to those who lent a helping hand in this regard”

Deputy Prime Minister further reiterated the commitment of Ethiopia to work closely with those partners willing to engage positively and constructively to protect lives and livelihoods.

For the latest updates from the Horn of Africa checkout MFA weekly online magazine A Week in the Horn June 11, 2021. Get the major news stories in the week about Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and AU

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Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington DC hosted a virtual business forum on the theme of “The United States and Ethiopia Business and Investment Opportunities”.

The session was organized in collaboration with the Houston International Trade Center and Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul in Houston, Texas.

H.E Ambassador Fitsum Arega briefed the participants on the various business and investment opportunities for American companies.

He particularly mentioned Ethiopia’s wide-ranging economic reform and liberalization measures, the historic telecom liberalization initiative, and the ten-year national development plan that has been recently adopted.

Ambassador Fitsum also indicated the abundant investment opportunities available for U.S. companies in various sectors in Ethiopia such as agriculture, manufacturing, tourism development, ICT, energy, and mining. He also stated the governments’ unwavering commitment to supporting the private sector.

Ambassador Fitsum explained the all-around efforts undertaken by the government of Ethiopia in addressing the humanitarian and security issues in Tigray and other parts of the country.

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy, on his part, said that he is Ethio-optimist and expressed the importance of enhancing economic relations between Ethiopia and the United States.

He also mentioned his strong confidence that Ethiopia will come out of the current challenges and continue being a key economic and security ally to the United States.

H.E Ambassador Fitsum responded to questions raised by participants of the program. He also thanked Mr. Gezahegn Kebede, Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul in Houston, Texas, and others who contributed to the success of the event.

Earlier this morning, Chief of Staff of the National Defense Force of Ethiopia General Berhanu Jula met with his Djiboutian counterpart General Zekaria to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation between the defense forces of the two countries.

During the meeting, the two sides reiterated their government’s interest to replicate success stories of people-to-people engagements and exemplary economic ties between the two countries in the defense areas as well.

The two sides have called for creating more favorable platforms and mechanisms to share information and expertise as well as pursue joint training.

The two counterparts have deliberated ways to scale up collaborations to make the Ethio-Djibouti corridor a peaceful zone and agreed to continue holding joint defense meetings annually.

Ethiopian high delegation led by the Minister of Finance, Ahmed shede discussed with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh on bilateral, regional issues and current affairs.

The Ethiopian delegation that included Chief of Staff of the Army, General Birhanu Jula and Director of the National Intelligence and Security Service, Temesgen Tiruneh exchanged views with President Ismail Omar Guelleh on a wide range of bilateral and regional affairs including ways to bolster ties between the two countries.

On the occasion, it is stated that Ethiopia and Djibouti have been enjoying long standing and close strategic relationship insusceptible to any external pressures. People to People ties between the two nations is strengthened by shared cultural and linguistic values.

The delegation briefed the president on the latest development in Ethiopia including measures taken to preserve peace and stability and law and order.

Delegation explained about the ongoing humanitarian activities in Tigray and told the president that schools have been resumed in Mekelle and agricultural works are well underway in the region.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh, to his part, said the tiew between Ethiopia and Djibouti are strong, deep-stead and impervious to any external pressures.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh appreciated the measures Ethiopia has been taking to resolve its problems by its own mechanisms.

He further reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to deepen ties and cooperation with Ethiopia in multifaceted areas.

Chief of Staff of the Army of Ethiopia, General Birhanu Jula has also conferred with his Djibouti counterpart General Zekaria, and the two agreed to jointly work in information exchange, training and experience sharing areas.

The Ethiopia-European Union (EU) has been jointly convened by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen and EU Ambassador to Ethiopia Johan Borgstam today.

The joint consultative meeting has focused on Ethio-EU cooperation, latest developments in Tigray, human rights protection and upcoming Ethiopian elections.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen said the permanent consultative meeting of EU and Ethiopia is based on the Cotonou agreement and the strategic partnership agreement signed between Ethiopia and the EU in 2016.

EU Member countries which have been represented on the consultative meeting appreciated the mechanisms Ethiopia has followed to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on its economy.

They further stressed need to bolster coordinated efforts to improve the humanitarian assistance in Tigray and called the government to further emphasize the agricultural practices in the region, and commended legal measures underway to hold those suspected over the alleged violation of human rights accountable.

Representatives of member countries also appreciated the joint legal process underway in partnership with Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and and the EU Human Rights Institution to investigate independent investigations into allegations of human rights abuses.

On the other hand, the countries reiterated continued support to efforts of Ethiopia in addressing issues related to migration and human trafficking areas.

They further appreciated the steps Ethiopia has taken to restructure the election board in an independent manner calling for further efforts to ensure that the electoral process does not face shortage of logistics.

Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, to his part, stated that Ethiopia has regitred better results in attracting foreign investment despite some challenges related to unrest in some parts of the country and prevalence of the pandemic.

Legal instruments are being introduced in line with creating a conducive investment climate in the country, adding that a special national forum has been put in place to address bottlenecks faced by investors. He added that member countries of the EU have to utilize such a forum to address challenges in the investment sector. Demeke appreciated EU’s support for Ethiopia in preventing and controling the pandemic.

Recalling the commitment of the government in giving international organizations unfettered access to Tigray, Demeke indicated that aid works are restricted only in some pocket areas over security matters. He said that it does not mean that there are limitations in terms of access for humanitarian activities in the region.

Some numeric information circulated regarding people with emergency humanitarian needs is overstated because they do not consider people who have been provided with special resources and those embraced in the Safety Net Program. Civilians-Military structure has been structured to fast track humanitarian assistance, he noted. 

Demeke said the government has prioritized the agricultural sector in the region and is delivering all the necessary inputs, he remarked. He stated that Eritrean soldiers have started withdrawing from the Tigray region.

The Committee led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been undertaking a wide range of activities to reinstate IDPs before the rainy season starts, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Demeke further indicated that the Attorney General, Federal Police Commission and the Tigray Interim Administration are investigating into alleged human rights abuses and holding accountable those who are found guilty of the crime.

The spokesperson of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti, gave the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing today (10 June 2021) to the media. In his presentation, the Ambassador focused on political diplomacy (with a special attention to the visit of the President of Kenya to Ethiopia to preside over the signing of the telecom operating licensing agreement and the high-level meeting of the federal government and humanitarian partners on Tigray), Economic diplomacy, citizen-centered diplomacy and capacity building activities.

I. Political Diplomacy

Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed and high-level Ethiopian government officials have warmly received H.E. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya upon his arrival at Bole International Airport yesterday. The two leaders were present at the signing of the telecom operating licensing agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and – the Winning Consortium- the Global Partnership for Ethiopia (Safaricom, Sumitomo, Vodacom, Vodafone, and CDC Group)

• As Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, the government kept its promise to end a decades-long monopoly in the sector, liberalize and open it up to both domestic and foreign investment a major policy shift in Ethiopia!
• As Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide said during the ceremony, the agreement is just an early step and Ethiopia will continue to work collaboratively with partners and investors to build a modern and open telecommunications sector to improve connectivity, productivity and economic growth in the country.
• The agreement will increase competition in the telecom market that will help people get better services with cheaper prices, enhance electronic-business, education, health, agriculture, finance & invite more investment to the country.
• The consortium paid $850 million for the license, is expected to introduce new services and infrastructure improvements.
• The investors will create up to 1.5 million new jobs in Ethiopia and bring $8.5 billion in investment over 10 years.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen has presided over the consultative meeting that aimed at assessing the progress achieved and the challenges observed regarding outstanding issues in Tigray that followed the law enforcement operation in the region. Ambassadors of partner countries, government officials, UN representatives, humanitarian partners, and Government officials, including Minister of Peace, H.E. Muferihat Kamil, Minister of Defence, H.E. Kenea Yadeta, Head of Tigray Region Administration, Dr. Abraham Belay, Director General of Information Network Security Agency, Dr. Shumete Gizaw, Commissioner for the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, Mr. Mitiku Kassa, and General Alemeshet Degefe have participated in the meeting. The main points during the meeting were:

• denying the progress achieved so far by sticking to unfounded claims is morally, politically, and legally unacceptable.
• The government, with a lion’s share, has addressed the humanitarian needs of 4.5 million people in the first round of aid while a total of 4.9 million people were reached in the second and third rounds.
• the government has taken the initiative to facilitate dialogue with the Amhara and Tigray regional states to resettle IDPs that were displaced from Western Tigray.
• Aside from establishing centers for mobile health services, 46.5% of the health centers in the region are made functional so far.
• some schools have been occupied by IDPs as makeshift shelters where the government is working to relocating them to better areas.
• The government is providing seeds and farming equipment to farmers, where 70%of the land has been made ready for cultivation involving 1.2 million farmers in the region.
• some factories in the region, including textile and cement factories have already started operation and exporting products (the textile factories, in this case).
• the military, the federal and regional justice systems are working in concert, where 60 suspected soldiers were brought to justice, of whom some are convicted and sentenced subsequently.
• among the challenges observed in the region, the most crucial ones are the unverified reports that misrepresented the facts on the ground and misunderstandings by humanitarian partners on the security concerns of military personnel at some checkpoints as facts for denial of access to the region.
• the process of withdrawing Eritrean troops has already begun.
• TPLF is not in a position to fight the Ethiopian Defence Forces although it sparks sporadic clashes at very few pocket areas.
• by causing troubles in some pocket areas, such as the West of Maichew, Bora, and Temben, the terrorist group has tried to impede access to humanitarian support envisaging famine in the areas as a political strategy to garner support from aggrieved people.
• The Ethiopian Defense Forces are well known for taking military discipline very seriously as witnessed in serving in various UN peacekeeping missions, and there is no reason for our soldiers to go wild and be lenient when it comes to protecting the well-being of our own people in Tigray.
• quests by the humanitarian agencies to possess gadgets that should only be restricted to military personnel are not acceptable.
• the government should have announced the misuse of privileges by some aid agencies that were caught while attempting to transport ammunition to the terrorist group and unduly repressing and firing Ethiopian staffers in their organizations.
• the federal and regional governments have been using their scarce resources to rebuild most of the infrastructures and public services, such as telecommunication, electricity, banking, and financial services that were destroyed by TPLF.
• So what the people of Tigray need now is material and financial support,
• The meeting also discussed the possibilities of opening Shire and Humera Airports, including the modalities required to extend visas granted to aid agencies.

In delivering concluding remarks, Mr. Demeke said the government will facilitate similar consultative platforms soon adding that it is committed to getting the region into normalcy by making an all-inclusive dialogue with stakeholders.

Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya arrived on Tuesday in Addis Ababa for a working visit to Ethiopia. Upon her arrival at Bole International Airport, the Cabinet Secretary was accorded a warm welcome by H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, State Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

State Minister H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien on Monday (June 07) warmly welcomed to his office, H.E. Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya to discuss bilateral relations and issues of common concern between the two countries. Ambassador Redwan has briefed the Cabinet Secretary on critical issues in Ethiopia, particularly Ethiopia’s commitment to getting peaceful resolutions to the GERD negotiations and the Ethio-Sudan border dispute. He also said Ethiopia is committed to holding free, fair, transparent and credible general elections. Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, on her part, appreciated State Minister Redwan for the briefings and highlighted her country’s belief that issues of regional concerns should get resolutions under the principle of “African solutions to African problems.”

In a discussion held on Thursday (June 03, 2021) between Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti, Berhanu Tsegaye, the Minister reiterated that his government attaches higher importance to its ties with Ethiopia. Foreign Minister Mahamoud added, Ethiopia and Djibouti have a strong relationship that set an example for other neighboring countries. Minister Mahmoud affirmed his government’s readiness to upscale the ties to a high gear in multifaceted arrays. Ambassador Berhanu shared updates on developments giving particular emphasis to the situations in Tigray, the upcoming National Election and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Ethiopian Embassy in London, UK has issued a statement on Allegations of the Use of “Starvation as a Weapon of War” in Tigray. It says, “With the Government’s continued provision of food assistance to the Region, allegations of starvation being used as a weapon of war are unfounded and politically motivated. The concoction of figures and stories to push a particular global narrative does not serve the people of Tigray in whose name the fabrications are spun for fundraising, relevance, and other interests.”

H.E. Ambassador Deriba Kuma has conferred with Mr. Tue Krarup-Pedersen, Acting Director for the Africa Policy and Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The two have had a candid discussion on national and regional issues of utmost importance notably on the humanitarian relief effort in the Tigray region, the upcoming general election in Ethiopia and the peace and security situation in the Horn of Africa.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Melaku Legesse presented on Friday (June 04) his credentials to the President of the Republic of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall. In their discussion, President Macky Sall, mentioned the importance of solving the issues of GERD through dialogue and negotiation. The President also suggested the three countries (Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt) use the experience of the Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS) which includes Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, and establishing cooperative management that serves the common goals of the riparian countries.

H.E. Ambassador Million Samuel, Ambassador-designate of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Estonia, resident in The Hague, The Netherlands, presented his Letter of Credence to H.E. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia on Thursday, June 03, 2021. Ambassador Million Samuel also met and held discussions with several Estonian officials during his stay in Tallinn, Estonia for the presentation of his credentials accrediting him as Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. In this connection, Ambassador Million met with Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian parliament, Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Director of Middle East, Africa and Latin America in MFA, and Ambassador-at-large for Digital Affairs in MFA. Estonian officials have expressed their desire to enhance bilateral relations and to work closely with Ethiopia in understanding regional issues in light of Estonia’s current position as a non permanent member of the United Nation Security Council.

H.E. Ambassador Hassen Taju, Ambassador-designate of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Iraq, resident in Kuwait City, presented his Letter of Credence to H.E. Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq on Tuesday (June 01).Following the ceremony of presentation of credentials, H.E. Ambassador Hassen and H.E. President Barham held a brief discussion on strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries. Ambassador Hassen briefed H.E. the President the current situation in Ethiopia, the trilateral negotiations on the GERD and other related issues of mutual concerns.

II. Updates on Tigray

• Education in Mekelle has already started. About 32 public and 30 private schools have resumed the teaching-learning process. Schools in other parts of Tigray will be opened soon.
• Agricultural activities are well underway in the region. But there are gaps between the demand for improved seeds and fertilizers which needs concerted efforts between stakeholders.

III. Citizen centered diplomacy

Ethiopian Embassy in Canada in collaboration with Alliance for GERD in Canada, Alberta chapter raised more than 140,000 Canadian dollars in a fundraising event that was held on Saturday. Ethiopians and people of Ethiopian descent in Alberta have donated 25,000 Canadian dollars previously. Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Nassise Chali appreciated the ongoing fundraising campaign for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam which raised $ 300,000 so far. Ambassador Nassise further stressed the need to stand together to fend off pressures that compromise the sovereignty of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Ambassador in Kuwait, H.E. Hassen Taju has paid a visit to 22 Ethiopian domestic workers who are taking a sewing training in Kuwait that is provided by Ethiopian Community in Kuwait in collaboration with Sandigan Kuwait, a charity organization. The training is provided to the Ethiopians to help them achieve lifelong skills during their spare time. The Ambassador expressed his delight to see such encouraging initiatives and pledged to extend support from the Embassy.

A two-month fundraising and awareness campaign on GERD has been launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland under the theme, “GERD: Hope for Development and Growth”. The Ethiopian Reconciliation and Peace Coalition in the United Kingdom, the Defend Ethiopia Task Force, and civil society organizations in the United Kingdom and Ireland launched the campaign in collaboration with the Ethiopian Embassy in London.

1136 Ethiopians were repatriated from Saudi Arabia, and discussions are underway to repatriate Ethiopians stranded in Yemen.

IV. Economic Diplomacy

Ambassador Kassa Teklebirhan met with TOSHIKAZU “KAZ” NAMBU, Executive Vice President of Sumitomo Corporation. The Vice President expressed his happiness that Sumitomo Corporation won the award of a Full-Service Telecommunications License in Ethiopia along with its international partners. He also thanked the Government of Ethiopia for transparently handling the bidding process. Ambassador Kassa congratulated the corporation for winning the bid and extended his appeal that the corporation replicates the practice of expanding business and investment endeavors in sectors of its specialization in Japan, Asia, and Africa. The corporation vowed to invest more than two billion USD in the coming five years in the telecom sector.

The Ethiopian embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands has participated in the Annual Vakantiebeurs 2021 Virtual Tourism Exhibition that was held from 3 to 5 June in collaboration with National tour agencies like FKLM Tours, Ethiopian Traditions Travel and Semien Eco Tour. At the exhibition, the Embassy rented an advertising page, displayed videos and photographs highlighting Ethiopia’s history, culture, and natural attractions as well as providing visitors with up-to-date information on tourism activities in the country.

V. Capacity Building

Staffers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have paid a two-day visit to various institutions in Addis Ababa, including the Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency, Ministry of Defense Headquarters, Entoto Park, Meskel Square and Sheger Park Projects. Speaking at the conclusion of the visit, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano said the visit was organized to share successful experiences from the spectacular projects.

Researchers at the Institute of Strategic Affairs (ISA) have tabled the findings of two of their studies that probed into the opportunities and challenges of the upcoming general elections in Ethiopia. Moderating the session held at the premises of the Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, ISA Director General, H.E. Yohannes Buayalew said the studies are helpful not only in appreciating all the positive efforts of stakeholders but also in identifying major issues that need to be managed to accentuate ongoing efforts in building a democratic nation. The research findings indicated that maximizing opportunities and minimizing barriers to making the upcoming general elections free and fair is the responsibility of stakeholders ranging from competing political parties, the media, civic society, NEBE, security officers, and the public at large.