• Vice-Minister visiting Axum heritage site today
ADDIS ABABA– Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and Italy Vice- Minister for Foreign Affairs held discussion on ways of restoring the obelisks of Axum and other key cooperation issues yesterday.
Briefing press correspondents following the discussion, the minister said a delegation will visit the heritage site today to observe the situation firsthand and provide the best Italian technical support to the restoration.
“We’re leaders in the field [of restoring heritage sites] and are ready to offer the required supports.”
On June 10, 2019, the premier himself witnessed the degree of the risk facing the heritage site located in Tigray state.
Following that, Prime Minister Abiy and Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia Arturo Luzzi held discussion last June 11 on “activating the restoration work [of Axum Obelisks]”.
It is to be recalled that on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in China, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed obtained the supports of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on the restoration of Axum Obelisks.
The risk facing the UNESCO registered Axum obelisks have to do with the canvas tautening [device fitted with the obelisk to absorb shock on stele 3] in addition to weather related factors that create cracks at the basement, Authority for Research and Conservation for Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) told The Ethiopian Herald.
Speaking of the Ethio-Italy Business Forum held here from June 19-20, 2019, she said various Italian Enterprises were in Addis and it would help to start new chapter in the field of business and development.
“We’re trying to exert all our efforts to make all our projects here a reality.”
Also, the Office of Prime Minister on its Facebook page announced as she expressed Italy’s determination to “build the technical and human capacity of Ethiopia in its readiness to effectively respond to natural disasters.”
The Ethiopian Herald June 21/2019
BY WORKU BELACHEW
