H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene held talks with H.E Ambassador Mikael Lindivall, the permanent representative of Sweden to the EU Political and Security Committee about the current situation in Ethiopia.

During the meeting, Ambassador Hirut and Ambassador Lindivall exchanged views on the unfolding political developments in Ethiopia. Ambassador Hirut briefed the later on the action that is being taken by the GOE to ascertain law and order in the country and the broader reform underway in Ethiopia over the last two years.

The two sides agreed to keep exchanges about developments in Ethiopia.

The latest issue of the Embassy’s Magazine, The Ethiopian Messenger, is available here: The-Ethiopian-Messenger

Content:

H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Presents her Letters of Credence to His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians (also available in Dutch and French)
Ethiopia Successfully Completes the First-Year Impoundment of the GERD
GERD Support Group in Belgium
Ethiopia Unveils 10-Year Development Plan
Beautifying Addis Ababa as an Urban Tourism Site
Ethiopia’s Second Year Green Legacy Campaign
SEPTEMBER (መስከረም): The Month of Ethiopian New Year and Associated Cultural Festivities

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has proposed holding the six general elections in late May or early June, 2021.

The board’s remarks came today during a consultative meeting organized for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media to discuss precautionary measures against COVID-19 during voting.

On the occasion, the NEBE officials proposed conducting the elections in the last two weeks of May or the first two weeks of June 2021.

The board also asked for an additional 1.1 million birr for the precautionary measures and deployment of additional manpower at polling centers.

The board also proposed providing training for poll workers from mid-December to mid-January and conducting voters’ registration from mid-January to the 3rd week of February.

It also proposed holding registration of candidates beginning from early to mid-February and election campaign from mid-February till the last week of the election period.

Source: FBC

Ethiopian Airlines has won the Business Traveller Award 2020 in the category of Best African Airline.

The winners of the award have been unveiled by the publishers of Business Traveller Magazine, Panacea Media.

The awards are voted for by readers of the Business Traveller Magazine, with the results produced by an independent research company, and are widely recognized as the markets’s benchmark for excellence, it is indicated.

It is to be recalled that Ethiopian Airlines Group was Voted ‘Best Airline in Africa’ for 3rd Consecutive Year at Skytrax 2019 World Airlines Awards in June 2019.

Source:FBC

The African Union (AU) led negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt will resume tomorrow after a seven-week break, said AU.

AU Chair and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the recommencement of the talks tomorrow following consultations with the Heads of State of the three countries.

President Ramaphosa welcomed the commitment of PM Dr Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, PM Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan, and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt to pursue negotiations guided by the spirit of cooperation, goodwill and compromise with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.

“The resumption of the Trilateral Negotiations on the GERD under the auspices of the AU indicates strong political will & commitment by the leadership of the 3 Parties involved in negotiations to the peaceful and amicable resolution of the GERD matter. It is a reaffirmation of the confidence that the Parties have in an African-led negotiations process, in line with the Pan-African maxim of African solutions to African problems, one of the cornerstones of the African Union,” President Ramaphosa said in a statement.

He reassured the three negotiating parties of the AU’s unremitting support and cooperation and expressed his utmost confidence that the parties will reach an agreement on remaining issues, including those related to the technical and legal aspects of the negotiations.

President Ramaphosa concluded, “Without any doubt, the successful conclusion of the GERD negotiations will enhance and accelerate regional integration, while boosting cooperation and sustainable development in the region, for the benefit of Africa as a whole”.

“The African Union remains seized of the GERD matter,” the statement added.

Source: FBC

a delegation from House of Representatives highlighted Ethiopia’s position on the GERD negotiation.

The 56^th session of the Organization of African Caribbean Pacific States (OACPS) was held virtually on Friday October 23, 2020. The plenary session was preceded by meetings of the three standing committees, the Committee on Political Affairs, the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment, and the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, and a meeting of the Bureau, beginning from October 19 to 22, 2020.

The meeting brought together members of Parliament of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific states from the 78 signatory states to the Cotonou Agreement which is the foundation for the ACP-EU partnership. In this meeting Ethiopia’s delegation was headed by Honorable Mr. Zeleke Mehari, deputy chair of Foreign relation and peace sub-standing committee of the House of Peoples’ Representative.

The meeting deliberated on various important issues of concern of the ACP Countries:  impact of Covid-19 pandemic, ways of underpinning solidarity, consolidating democracy and respect for Constitution as well as the fate of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) under the post Cotonou agreement are the main ones,.

On this Assembly, Ethiopia’s delegation took the opportunity to inform the members of the Assembly regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and ongoing tripartite negotiation. In this regard, Honorable Mr. Zeleke noted Ethiopia’s inalienable right to utilize its natural resources to alleviate its people from abject poverty and the importance of the GERD to the country and beyond. While informing the Assembly of the facilitation effort being made by the African Union under the leadership of the South African President with the principle of finding African solutions to African problems, Honourable  Zeleke also  stressed Ethiopia’s willingness to work in collaboration with the brotherly countries of the downstream for the mutually beneficial solution on the issue.

The OACPS Parliamentarians are expected to meet with their European Parliament counterparts on October 29 and November 5 2020, at the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the two sides. On this meeting, various motions of resolution tabled by the three joint standing committees are expected to be adopted.