Our today’s guest is Ambassador Meles Alem (PhD). He is serving as the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The career diplomat has a twenty-year service in the Ministry on various capacities. His last appointment was as Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya, Malawi, Comoros and Seychelles. The Ethiopian Herald sat for a brief interview with him on matters in connection to the recently launched Ethiopian Diplomatic Week and Exhibition. Enjoy reading.
What is your view of the ongoing Diplomatic Week and Exhibition?
The event is simply super. It’s all about promoting Ethiopia’s diplomatic history. It is about showing the contemporary diplomacy and its achievements. It is about portraying the impact of the advent of science and technology on diplomatic undertakings and our effort to rise to the challenge.
What would the Ministry achieve as a result of the diplomatic week?
What we want to achieve, at the end is, it is to bring the public and the ministry closer. The Ministry remains to be closed for quite some time. It had become a profession of a selected few. Today, the intentions of the Ministry are to make diplomacy and foreign policy interactions a daily chorus of the ordinary citizen as well. At the exhibition, citizens would further understand Ethiopia’s history of diplomacy, and the achievement and challenges of the past and present. It also paves the way for visitors to see what is in store for the endeavors ahead.
Diplomacy cannot be carried out only by career diplomats like me. Every individual and every institution have the responsibility of promoting the national interest of Ethiopia. There are very simple examples, the Ethiopian airlines, the flying ambassador, has been playing a very important role in showing the other face of Ethiopia.
Also, the Ethiopian shipping lines is Ethiopian flag carrier, and promotes the national interest one way or on another. Ethiopian athletes also paint a favorable image of the country on major global competitions and when they set a new world record. So every individual has the responsibility of playing his/her part in promoting the national interest of Ethiopia. So, we want to open up the ministry to the general public, and also help the public play its unrivaled role in achieving and promoting the national interest.
Can we talk about the major triumphs of the Ministry over the last 116 years?
Quite many! In fact, the modern history of Ethiopia’s foreign relations begins with the establishment of the Ministry. In fact, it first came to shape as the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Policy during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. We’re grateful for the leader; he brought a modern way of managing foreign policy to the scene.
But it doesn’t mean that our foreign diplomacy is only 116 years old. No! The genesis of foreign policy and diplomacy of Ethiopia dates back to thousands of years of history. In fact, it is as old as Ethiopia. It begins with the time of Queen Sheba. You have King Ezana and King Kaleb during the Aksumite era, who left us their indelible legacy of diplomacy.
In the modern time, Ethiopia participated and of course put its mark in the establishment several multilateral organizations. It fulfills its international commitment in this regard as well. The Ministry played due role in all the endeavors. Ethiopia’s contribution as member and founder of several multilateral and regional organizations such as the League of Nations and the UN, the UNECA and OAU (present day AU) are but to mention a few. Ethiopia has been playing a seamless role in maintaining the peace and security of the world by deploying thousands of peacekeepers.
In fact, we are one of the major peacekeeping contributing countries coupled with our contributions of women peacekeepers; we’ve been instrumental in fulfilling our international commitment in this regard. Imagine when many African countries were languishing in the yoke of colonialism, Ethiopia involved as a founding member of many international organizations like the Universal Postal Union, the International Telecommunications Union, and many, many more. Ethiopia had, therefore, served as a voice of Africa and backed the effort of decolonizing the continent.
In our recent history, the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was a key player in the transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to African Union (AU), not to mention his contribution in supporting and chairing the New Partnership for African’s Development (NEPAD). And the current leader, our Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) also used his diplomatic prowess to make Ethiopia a member of the BRICS bloc.
How is the Ministry prepared to future endeavors?
Look, with the advent of science and technology, diplomacy has been evolving like any other profession. Internet technology has changed the way we live for the better, and given the new challenges as a result of it as well. The social media have given the opportunity for leaders to interact with the public at large.
So, the promotion of national interest is not only carried out through accredited diplomats, but every leader and citizen also participates in one way or another. So, in a very changing and evolving global context, the modus operandi of diplomacy cannot go with the same old fashion. So the Ministry has introduced the digital department. We have made adequate preparation in all respects to furnish the ground for future activities. So, the future is so bright, we don’t forget that we have 120 million people out of which the youth makes what 65 million. The youths would be part and parcel of the diplomatic endeavors.
Thanks for your time Amb. Meles.
My pleasure
BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2024
