US Ambassador: “US Firmly Committed to Support Ethiopia’s Reform Agenda” (April 10, 2019)

US Ambassador to Ethiopia, H.E. Michael Raynor said the United States remains deeply inspired by Ethiopia’s ongoing economic and political reform agendas and firmly committed to supporting these efforts.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Ambassador Raynor pointed out that Ethiopia has been registering remarkable economic and political progress since Abiy Ahmed’s election as Prime Minister in April 2018.
He mentioned that flow of foreign direct investment to Ethiopia jumped by over 10 percent from 2017- 2018 and the US companies have shown an increasing interest to take full advantage of the opportunities that Ethiopia has to offer, bringing the types of responsible investments that benefit both countries.
“The Ethiopian people enjoy greater freedoms to express their views than at any time in recent memory and for the first time in 15 years the Committee to Protect Journalism has found no journalists imprisoned in Ethiopia,” he added.
On the way forward, Ambassador Raynor underlined the need for commitment not only from the government, but also from the Ethiopian people and civil society, to find the path to success.