BY LULSEGED WORKU
Addis Ababa, as the capital city of Ethiopia and the hub of various embassies; and a residence for several diplomatic communities, always creates strong emotional attachment with its visitors; and leaves special memories in the heart of every delegate.
Its year round pleasant weather coupled with the welcoming and friendly culture of residents which make the capital one of the most stunning and attractive, Addis Ababa always leaves a long lasting memory in diplomatic communities.
This has been asserted several times when those outgoing ambassadors and diplomats reflect their views to local media. Chilean Ambassador, Fernando Zalaquett, is among those who witness the beauty of Addis Ababa and Ethiopia as a great country, especially its marvelous landscape, unique weather, extraordinary nature, and the millenary culture of its people.
After four years of service in the capital, the Ambassador is about to leave Addis Ababa. Following this, The Ethiopian Herald had moments of togetherness with him concerning the experiences he had within the last four years.
According to Ambassador Zalaquett, the last four years in Ethiopia were enjoyable and interesting, both personally and professionally: “throughout my four years of stay here in Addis, I have witnessed the goodness and hospitality of Ethiopian people. “I had a chance to visit several rural areas of Ethiopia and its tourist attraction sites. They are so beautiful and refreshing. The people whom I accidentally met are the most amazing people. They were always gracious hosts; they value their culture and respect their guests.”
The political and economic transformations including its “Green Legacy” under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are very impressive; and gave the framework and atmosphere for greater cooperation between Ethiopia and Chile.
Using all the available means Chile´s government has been trying its level best to further strengthen its bilateral ties with the Ethiopian government in the area of education. This is in the form of providing scholarships to Ethiopian students in areas of public management, agriculture, aquiculture intellectual property, and in other areas.
“In addition to this, recently, the two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in areas of Political Consultation; Cooperation between Diplomatic Academy; and we are about to sign a Treaty on Commerce and Investment. In this regard, it is important to mention the Chilean investment in Bahir Dar in the first production, the production of blueberries, which are already exported to different counties.
As part of the effort to strengthen cultural cooperation, the first Chilean- Ethiopian coproduction movie, entitled “Superno”, and received many international awards was produced.” As to him, Chile has supported the film through sponsoring and taking part in its production.
With regarding to the Ethiopian government efforts to handle all its challenges systematically is worth appreciating. For instance, government’s energy to prevent and reduce the burden of COVID-19 pandemic; and the mechanisms it has been following to handle differences in a peaceful manner and to solve conflicts show how strong and committed the government is.
Despite the fact that the pandemic was serious, the economic progress of the nation was not halted. The commercial activity of the nation and public life were moving smoothly. In this regard, he reminds that during the worst days of the pandemic, the Chilean Foundation “Africa Dream” sent dozens of medicines and therapists to help and assist Ethiopian people in need at the localities of Dilla and Ziway.
Ambassador Zalaquett also remind that in November 2020 the Government of Chile awarded few worldwide celebrities, among them was the Ethiopian icon Athlete Haile Gebrselassie, who received the “500 Centenary of Magellan Strait Discovery Prize”, as a recognition of the greatest gold Olympic medalist, world athletic champion, and currently successful entrepreneur, who has been a real source of inspiration for its compatriot and especially for the young generation of Ethiopian people. In addition, a tree was planted at the boarder of Magellan Strait that is the unique natural connection of the largest oceans in the world, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, under the name of Athlete Haile Gebrselassie.
When asked how he explained Ethiopia and its culture, Ambassador Zalaquett said, “As I mentioned earlier, Ethiopians are truly wonderful people who value their long established culture and prestige. They have enabled to preserve their cultural values for centuries. The various cultural practices, including Ethiopian songs and dancing style, historical and archaeological places, its delicious traditional food among others, are amazing. The paintings and sculptures I bought from young Ethiopian artists and other artifacts that I saw in different galleries are good indications that Ethiopian culture and art are still intact and powerful to convey message.”
The Ambassador also said that the cultural integration of the two countries is also found in a good position. “Using all the available means, my government is working to further deepen its bilateral ties with Ethiopia not only in cultural fields but also in other areas of cooperation as mentioned before.” Due to the aforementioned reasons, Ambassador Zalaquett said that the last four years were very fruitful diplomatic years and a great professional experience, not only bilaterally but also multilaterally, as Addis Ababa is the seat of the African Union. In the end, he said that those years in Ethiopia will remain forever in the memory of his heart.
The Ethiopian Herald November 6/2022
