The reforms underway in Ethiopia are making the country more attractive to foreigners than ever before as many high level political leaders of different countries are paying official visits in the country to make economic and political deals, according to scholars. This week only Presidents of Guinea and Estonia are on official visit to Ethiopia with series of agenda to deal.
This is excluding those who are coming here to attend the AU meeting. In addition during the last 10 months since the coming to power of Prime Minister Abiy, many leaders have stepped foot on the country’s soil for indepth exchange of ideas and views with the government. Among them; H.E. Frank Walter Steinmer, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AUC, Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Federal Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurtz, president of Eritrea, Esayas Afewerkie, Uhuru Kenyata of Kenyan president, Federal Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurtz, Mr. Christos Stylianides, Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management Commission Commissioner of the European Union, former British Prime Minister and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute and other can be listed.
This will have numerous advantages for the country either in integrating the relation of neighboring countries and high economic and political rewards. Sisay Asserie, lecturer at Gondar University the coming of those leaders to Ethiopia can be seen as an indication that Ethiopia has maintained its position as one of the politically influential countries in the world. “It is amazing for Ethiopia to be visited by more than 10 foreign leaders with in the last 300 days” he noted. Sisay added that it is a great opportunity for the country to expand the countries investment especially the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). As it has been seen, the leaders are coming from, different parts of the world hence they have told their readiness to invest in Ethiopia.
One of the biggest manifestations for the successful diplomatic works that can positively affect the country’s economic activity is the memorandum of understanding made between the German Automobile Giant, Volkswagen and Ethiopian Investment Commission that will enable it to establish a car assembly facility in Ethiopia is also important to strengthen Germany and Ethiopia investment relationship. According to him the stable political situation that have been seen for the last 300 days after the coming of this influential and critical leader ‘Abiy Ahmed’ to the power is the chief reason for the world leaders to decide in visiting and investing in the land of origin, Ethiopia.
Therefor, it is mandatory for the people of Ethiopia to stand with the theme of the prime minister for a better development Sisay agreed. Meskerem Abera lecturer at Hawassa University under the department of history on her part told The Ethiopian Herald that the visiting of different foreign country leaders to Ethiopia indicates that their eagerness to strengthen their commercial, political and diplomatic relationship with Ethiopia. In the early time Ethiopian investment and commercial ties was limited to few countries.
Yet, currently new countries are also showing their inclination to invest in Ethiopia Meskerem said. According to her, a new announced partnership between Ireland and Ethiopia on cultural heritage and rural tourism while the Irish Prime Minister visited the Lalibela rockHewn Churches, a UNESCO world Heritage site. Furthermore, she added that it is also to give attention for the telephone conversation which the Prime Minister Abiy has made with the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Junker, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and other leaders.
As Ethiopia is the giant country in sustaining the peace against Eastern Africa and the peace of this Eastern Africa is essential for all, what the Prime Minister Abiy has done in solving the problems with its neighboring countries including Eritrea and even Eritrea with other African countries. For this circumstance, Meskerem commented that strengthening the diplomatic relationship between African countries for integration is also unforgettable task which is done by Dr. Abiy.
Herald February 9/2019
BY HIZKEL HAILU
