BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Addis Ababa is truly a hub of multicultural society and a place where several Ambassadors and diplomatic communities are leading their life peacefully. As a capital city of Ethiopia and diplomatic hub of Africa, the city has a unique way of rejuvenating the spirit of its residents and the diplomatic communities. No matter where they came from or what their status is, the beautiful City-Addis Ababa-has always a special place in their heart. For that reason, most diplomatic communities living in Ethiopia consider Addis Ababa as their second home. Gustavo Teodro Grippo, who is Argentina Ambassador to Ethiopia is among those people who consider Addis his second home. Ambassador Gustavo has been working in Ethiopia for the last ten years representing his country-Argentina. Within those years, Ambassador Gustavo has played a significant diplomatic role between his country and Ethiopia. Using this as a ground The Ethiopian Herald had moments of togetherness with him.
According to Ambassador Gustavo, Ethiopia is one of the most important countries in Africa. “Ethiopia and Argentina have wonderful relations in political, economic and social areas. It is a chief diplomatic place in the continent that is why we find the Headquarter of the African Union and other regional and international institutions in Addis Ababa. The commercial relationship of the two countries is still in a good condition. This commercial relation is expressing itself in various ways. For instance, as a land where one of the best coffees is found, Argentina imports Ethiopian coffee and gold. Argentina also exports maize, rice and pharmaceutical tools to Ethiopia. As part of the South-South Cooperation, Argentina is also supporting the Ethiopian agricultural sector in various ways.”
He also said, starting from the time Ethiopian Airlines launches flights to Argentina in 2018, the commercial relationship of the two countries is getting stronger. Beside the commercial part, the Ethiopian Airlines-pride of Africa- is promoting Ethiopia all over the world which should be taken as a model by other countries as well. In this regard, I can say that the good management in the airline deserves all the respect.
In the political sphere, Ethiopia is always by the side of Argentina in various issues. “Starting from the beginning, Ethiopia is supporting our causes in the United Nations. This is especially true regarding the sovereignty issues.
When asked how he express Ethiopia`s stand in areas of Pan-Africanism in its modern sense, Ambassador Gustavo said that he has a great respect for what Ethiopia is doing now against all forms of neocolonialism and the efforts of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to bring about sustainable development all over the country and his effort to avoid conflict in a peaceful means is praiseworthy.
“I had a chance to meet Prime Minister Abiy in Argentina in 2014 when he was State Minister of Science and Technology. I admire his leadership skills. He has transferred Ethiopia into a better position. The various parks, museums and other projects that are being constructed all over the country are truly reflecting his dedication and leadership qualities. I always follow his speech and I am convinced from his measures that he is always after the betterment of Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular.”
The ambassador also said that the economic progress the nation witnessed within the past years is encouraging. The cultural integration and tolerance which is being witnessed all over the country and the construction of various parks and market centers is a signpost that Ethiopia is driving towards prosperity and progress. The historical grounds of the nation together with the commitment of its people are taking the nation into the right destination.
The ambassador also commented that the effort of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to bring a sustainable peace to Ethiopia is an encouraging step not only to Ethiopia but also to the whole continent. Using “African problems that need African solutions” as a principle, Ethiopia is actively engaged to realize conflict free Africa. For this reason, Ethiopia is now serving as a house light for Africa as well as the world.
Regarding the peaceful negotiation between the Federal Government and the TPLF, the ambassador said, arriving on agreement to avoid conflict peacefully and accepting the federal government`s authority is a one way towards a stable country. In this regard, my country is very happy for the peaceful negotiation and the positive result registered after that.
When asked how Argentinean people express Ethiopia, Ambassador Gustavo said, Argentinian people know best about Ethiopia. This is because of various reasons; Ethiopia is a great African nation that had never been colonized. This is a very important point to us. For Argentina, Ethiopia is a very good example of freedom and anti-colonialism struggle. Ethiopia`s diplomatic relation with Argentina in this regard has an important significance for it values independence as a paramount issue. This is reflected in the issue of Malvinas islands. For this very reason, Argentinian people know Ethiopia more than any other people and have a great respect for Ethiopia.
The strong Ethiopian and Argentinean people fraternity was also witnessed recently when Argentina beat France in the 2022 world cup final. After Argentina won the cup, people in Addis Ababa were expressing their feelings to me. I was witnessing Ethiopians expressing their support for the Argentina team on the streets of Addis and I even one time asked myself if I was in Buenos Aires or in Addis Ababa. Whenever we drive in the streets of Addis there are still people who warmly express their support to us. There are two countries in the world that support the Argentinian team in an incredible way. Those countries were Ethiopia and Bangladesh. This truly expresses the strong friendship of the two countries.”
Concerning how he is going to celebrate the New Year and Ethiopian Christmas- Genna, Ambassador Gustavo said, “Due to the strong attachment I developed with Ethiopians within the last ten years I enjoy marking Ethiopian holidays. For this reason, I am eagerly waiting to mark both the New Year and Ethiopian Christmas -Genna- with friends and families. And I wish all Ethiopians a colorful Christmas.”
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SPECIAL EDITION 1 JANUARY 2023
