COMPILED BY HIZKEL HAILU
Demeke Mekonnen confers with Ambassadors and representatives of UN Security Council
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Demeke Mekonnen briefed Ambassadors and representatives of members of the United Nations Security Council in Addis Ababa on the current situation in Tigray.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said the Government has intensified its efforts to fully and effectively address the humanitarian needs in the Tigray region and enormous progress achieved since the law enforcement measure has come to a successful conclusion.
He indicated that unfettered humanitarian access, including to international media has been granted, issuance of clearance to the region for humanitarian actors has now been expedited by addressing bureaucratic hurdles and the process of carrying out joint investigation on human rights violations is underway.
Participants welcomed the measures that the Government has taken to address the humanitarian situation and human rights issues, and raised some concerns with regards to the challenges that some journalists and translators faced coordination in terms of delivering humanitarian aid to some places, and the presence of foreign troops in the region.
In responding to the questions and concerns expressed by some members, Mr. Demeke pointed out that more than 3.5 million beneficiaries of the humanitarian assistance have now been reached through a cluster-based approach, with infrastructures that were destroyed by the TPLF forces are now being rebuilt and have resumed services.
Mr. Demeke also added that so far the Government has covered 70 percent of resources from its coffer to address the humanitarian needs in the region while only 30 percent came from the international community.
If the Government and international humanitarian organizations need to respond in a swifter and sustained manner, the international community should scale up its efforts of garnering adequate resources for the task at hand, he said.
Journalists are now granted access to report developments in the region and those who were detained in the past few days are released, said the Minister.
In clarifying the incidents, Mr. Demeke said that just as the Government is tirelessly working to address coordination problems and other few impediments, journalists and humanitarian workers also need to respect their professional code of conduct.
Mr. Demeke also said forging peace and partnership will always remain the emblem of Ethiopia’s foreign policy, governed by principles of international law, and further added that Ethiopia has never allowed any foreign country or troops to stay in its land, and is determined to keep it that way.
He also expressed the appreciation of the Ethiopian Government to all partners for their support and reassured them of Ethiopia’s commitment that the existing longstanding partnership that Ethiopia has always enjoyed with them will further be enhanced and strengthened.
H.E. Demeke Mekonnen bid farewell to outgoing AU Deputy Chairperson
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen bade farewell to the departing chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Kwesi Quartey.
Being thankful for the Ghanaian diplomat for his productive tenure and leading a commendable program at the Commission, Demeke further seized the opportunity to call African countries to come together under the AU charter and work for the prosperity of their people.
On the occasion, the two sides also discussed the longstanding bilateral relations between Ghana and Ethiopia. Demeke also briefed the Deputy Chairperson on the current situation in Ethiopia and the efforts as well as measures by the government to address the situation.
The outgoing Deputy Chairperson, on his part, said it was a privilege to serve in Ethiopia as an Ambassador of Ghana to Ethiopia before becoming deputy chairperson of the commission.
He further thanked the support of the government of Ethiopia during his stay as Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission.
Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister wished Mr. Kwesi Quartey well in his future endeavors and expressed hope that he will continue to support Ethiopia.
Ambassador Deriba Kuma pays courtesy call on the new Swedish State Secretary
H.E. Ambassador Deriba Kuma paid a virtual courtesy call on the newly appointed Swedish State Secretary for International Development Cooperation and Member of Parliament, H.E. Mrs. Janine Alm Ericson.
On the occasion, whilst extending his sincere congratulations to Mrs. Erison upon her appointment as State Secretary, Ambassador Deriba gave a briefing on the ongoing effort of providing humanitarian assistance in the Tigray region. He underlined that more than 3.1 million beneficiaries have been reached so far.
Ambassador Deriba also expressed Ethiopia’s readiness to amicably resolve border issues with Sudan emphasizing Ethiopia’s demand that recent Sudanese incursions must be reversed before talks start.
Mrs. Janine Alm Ericson on her part commended the opening of the Tigray region to international media and stressed the need for enhanced humanitarian assistance in the region.
The State Secretary further appreciated the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission for its recent report on its investigations into alleged crimes in Tigray.
The two pledged to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral development cooperation between Ethiopia and Sweden.
Embassy in Brussels, Ethiopian Airlines host Virtual Tourism Promotion Event
Ethiopian Embassy in Brussels and Ethiopian Airlines’ Benelux Area Office co-organized a virtual event under a theme “Ethiopian’s Tourism Potentials: Promoting Ethiopia as a Preferred Destination for Tourists”.
The event was aimed to promote Ethiopian tourism to the tour operators based in Belgium and Luxembourg, connect Ethiopian tour operators with Belgian and Luxembourger counterparts, and create a platform for discussions on the prospects and challenges of the sector.
The promotion event was chaired by H.E. Amb. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EU institutions, and attended by the CEO of Tourism Ethiopia, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ethiopia, Ethiopian tour operators’ associations (ETOA and TETOA), Benelux Area Manager of the Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Hotels Association, and owners of travel agencies from Ethiopia, Belgium, and Luxembourg, among others.
At the opening of the occasion, H.E. Mr. Sileshi Girma, CEO of Tourism Ethiopia – a federal government office in charge of tourism promotion-, stated that Europe, along with the United States and Asia, is one of Ethiopia’s main sources of tourists.
Specifically, with over 80 percent of its population having a culture of spending their holiday seasons outside of the country, Belgium remains an important source of tourists to Ethiopia, he added.
The CEO also declared Ethiopia’s readiness to receive tourists with the necessary COVID conscious protocol at the airport, destination sites, and lodging.
The occasion further encompassed presentations about Ethiopia’s tourism potentials made by Mr. Weldegebrial Berhe, Director of Tourism Destination Marketing, followed by presentations made by the tour operators from both sides- Ethiopia and Belgium.
Mrs. Ilse Dehandschutter, Sales Manager at Benelux Area Office of Ethiopian Airlines also presented the attractive offers and services provided to tourists from fly Ethiopian, the largest Airline in Africa.
Following the presentations, important points such as the cost of travel, accommodation & local transportation, the COVID situation, and security issues were raised and discussed accordingly.
Making a concluding remark, Ambassador Francois Dumont, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ethiopia, congratulated the Ethiopian Embassy and the Ethiopian Airlines for organizing this successful event, and highlighted the importance of tourism for people-to-people relations, besides its economic importance.
He also recommended Belgian tourists to visit Ethiopia not only for the coffee, but also for the beautiful nature, culture, history, and welcoming people of the people.
The Ethiopian Herald March 7/2021
