The engagement of women in science and technology is pivotal to achieve development goals, President Sahlework Zewdie said.
Addressing a consultative meeting on Ethiopian women and science today, the president said the participation of women in science and technology is low in the country.

Yet, there are some influential Ethiopian women in science and technology at national and international levels, Sahlework added.

According to her, “the journey to ensure equality of women will be daunting, unless the participation of women is strengthened.”

The government has, therefore, been encouraging and supporting women to actively engage in the field.

The president underscored the need for transformation of knowledge and exchange of experiences among women and stakeholders to improve the situation.

Science and Higher Education Minister, Professor Hirut Woldemariam said encouraging and recognizing women in science and technology is crucial for the development of the country.

She stated that the ministry has taken various measures to enhance the participation of women in science and technology.

Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, organized the consultative meeting.

Ethiopia will launch its first satellite into space on December 17 2019, according to the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI).

The Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite ET-RSS1 will be launched in partnership with China, said Dr. Engineer Getahun Mekuria, Minister of Innovation and Technology.

He said the satellite will be launched at 6:21 am local time.

The Satellite, which will be launched from China, will have its command and control center in Ethiopia at the Entoto space observatory facility located on the outskirt of Addis Ababa.

Once launched into space, the satellite will provide all the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena that would be used for agriculture, forestry, and natural resources conservation activities.

During his visit to China Academy of Space Technology last April, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed inspected the 70kg satellite.

Nation attracted 700 Million Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) during the first quarter of the on-going fiscal year, according to Ethiopian Investment Commission report.

In its report to the House of Peoples’ Representatives Trade and Industry Standing Committee, the Commission said the country has achieved 70 percent of the plan which was projected to bring over a billion U.S. dollar investments during the stated period.

The country attracted the investments from close to 100 new foreign companies being operational in various sectors, the report showed.

Ethiopian Investment Commissioner, Abebe Abebayehu, stated that the achievement has shown a 13 percent progress compared to in the same period of the last budget year.

Acknowledging that Ethiopia has still not been earning the expected foreign currency from its manufacturing products,  lack of peace and stability, repeated power break, inadequate infrastructure around the industrial parks are among the major challenges for the sector, the commissioner revealed.   

He particularly noted that the recent instability of the country is affecting the investment flow saying “Ethiopia has lost 300 million USD due to the disruption in different parts of the country.”

Noting that attracting the highly qualified investors has been a top priority of the nation, the commission has licensed the best global firms during the last three months unlike the past experience in this regard, he underscored.

After hearing the report, the standing committee urged the commission to focus on export-oriented products, job creation, and technology transfer.

The country has secured 47 million USD from the manufactured products, which is the least achievement of the targeted plan in the first three months, according to the report.

The National Sterling Committee will celebrate International Coffee Day in Addis Ababa on February 5-7 2020. The celebration will include an exhibition, conference, and festival with the motto Coffee from the land of origin.

The National Sterling Committee invites Ethiopian and foreigner academicians, researchers and professionals to submit a research paper related to the motto and objective of the conference. The Committee is interested in topics which can address Branding Ethiopian Coffee in International Market, Developping Echo Tourism in Tranding Areas, Challenges and Prospects of Ethiopian Coffee Export, etc.

Candidates should submit their work on one A4 paper in Amharic or English before December 15, 2019.

More information in the document below.

A 50-person Sudanese public diplomacy delegation arrives today for a three-day visit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The visit is aimed to forge the relations between the peoples of the two countries and thank the Government of Ethiopia for its contribution in creating peace and stability to Sudan.

The delegation comprises government officials, religious leaders, prominent individuals, journalists, members of the business community, women, representatives of higher education, political parties, artists, and others, the release added.

During their stay in Ethiopia, members of the delegation will meet with various government officials, religious leaders, prominent individuals, journalists, the business community,  political leaders, artists, and visit different projects.

In addition, musicians from both countries will conduct a concert at the National Theater.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, Dagmawit Moges, held talks with a delegation led by Moussa Mohammed Ahmed, Minister of Equipment and Transport of Djibouti.

They discussed on achievements of the Ethio-Djibouti railway line on freight and passenger services over the last two years, plan for the future, and cost sharing for the project.

Safety of railway transport, tariffs, and provision of reliable electricity needed to power the trains were also among agendas of the discussion.

Dagmawit said joint management of railway, maritime, aviation and road transports that link the two counties would help both sides to facilitate their import-export trades.

Moussa Mohammed Ahmed for his part said his country is ready to work jointly with Ethiopia in the fields of transport.

The 752.7km Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is the first modern electrified railway line in East Africa. It is jointly owned the governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The railway was 70% financed by China’s Exim Bank and built by China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction.

The Ethiopian Foreign Minister H.E. Gedu Andargachew today (November, 20) met and held discussions with resident European Union Ambassadors led by H.E. Ambassador Johan Borgsatm.

The meeting was held in accordance with Article 8 dialogue of the Cotonou agreement that was signed to regulate cooperation between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in June 2000.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Gedu appreciated the EU for its unrelenting commitment with regard to development assistance.

“We in Ethiopia believe that our partnership with the EU is of great significance to the realization of various development goals Ethiopia is striving to achieve,” he added.

In explaining Ethiopia’s new course to its foreign policy, Mr. Gedu said that countries of the Horn are embarking on the new path of cooperation spearheaded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and showing to the world that they are capable of solving their problems by themselves.

The Foreign Minister also briefed the EU Ambassadors on Ethiopia’s positive roles in promoting peace with its neighbours.

Mr. Gedu stressed that Ethiopia’s interests will be best served through the existence of peaceful and stable neighbouring countries.

Highlighting the Sidama People Referendum which is underway, Mr. Gedu reassured the Ambassadors that Ethiopia is preparing to conduct free and fair election in 2020.

“Making the upcoming election free, fair and credible will be the culmination of the democratic reform that the current Government has championed,” he added.

Concerning the Grand Renaissance Dam, Mr. Gedu stressed on the fact that the commencement of the construction of the dam was to support poverty alleviation and socio-economic development efforts which are matters of survival in the current state of the country.

In discussing the overall human rights environment in Ethiopia, Mr. Gedu highlighted positive developments that have been achieved since the implementation of the new reform agenda.

He also indicated that a lot remains to address challenges to the advancement of human rights including the weak capacity of institutions.

The Foreign Minister finally underlined his Government’s commitment to secure peace and stability in the country so that both foreign and domestic investments flourish.

The EU Ambassadors lauded the reform Ethiopia is undertaking and forwarded questions for further clarifications which were addressed in detail by the Foreign Minister.

The Cotonou agreement regulates the relationship between the two bodies in economic, political and development dimensions.

 

Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hirut Zemene met with President John Magufuli of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

The two sides discussed ways to further strengthen the existing age-old ties between the two countries.

President of Magufuli said his country is keen to take its relation with Ethiopia to a new height.

State Minister Hirut delivered a message from Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed to the President, according to the Ethiopian Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

The Foreign Relation Strategic Resources Center (FR-SIRC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, held its monthly ‘Diplomacy Hub’ breakfast seminar on Tuesday (November 19) at the Hilton Hotel.

State Minister of Trade and Industry H.E. Dr. Misganu Arega delivered a presentation on ‘the Prospects and Challenges of the African Free Trade Area for Ethiopia.’