H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga undertook a two-day working visit to Tallinn, Estonia on May 11 and 12/2016 and held discussion with the representatives of the Estonian Government and the private sector.

During the two days, H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga had a meeting with the Director of the African Affairs division and with senior officials of the Economic cooperation and Business Diplomacy division of the Ministry Foreign Affairs as well as Parliamentarians. He also met with the Director General of Estonian Chamber of Commerce and the President and representatives of Estonian Travel and Tourism Association. At the occasion, Ambassador Teshome briefed the officials about the various achievements of Ethiopia over the last two decades in the political and economic areas and conveyed his government’s strong commitment to forge a stronger cooperation with Estonia with the aim of carving out a mutually beneficial outcome for the two countries.

In this light, Ambassador underscored, there is ample opportunities for cooperation in various areas, particularly in the field of investment, tourism and technology transfer between Ethiopia and Estonia. As one example, he mentioned e-governance as an important area that his country could learn and benefit from Estonia. In general, there was an understanding that Ethiopia and Estonia should work together on key global issues, such as climate change, terrorism and migration with a spirit of multilateralism and along the direction of the African Union and the European Union. It was also agreed that the Ethiopian Embassy will actively participate in the next African Business Forum and Estonian Tourism Fair, which are planned to be held in the second half of this year and at beginning of next year respectively.

The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels is accredited to the Benelux and Baltic countries and is also the Ethiopian Representation to the European Union. This visit was part of the Mission’s annual program which includes periodic engagement in the Baltic countries and was a follow-up to last year’s similar mission. Last year the Embassy took part in the first ever African business exposition organized in Estonia for the private sector and the business community and Ambassador Teshome had made a presentation about Ethiopia’s growing business and investment opportunities, access to its huge market and about the country’s rich, diverse yet untapped historical, cultural and natural tourist attraction sites.

Delegated by the of the Ministry of Finance and Economic cooperation of Ethiopia, Ambassador Teshome Toga led the Ethiopian delegation to the 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of States and Governments, which was held from 31 May to 1st June 2016 in the capital of the Pacific Island Nation of Papua New Guinea, Port Mosby city.

Prior to the Summit, a joint ACP Foreign ministers and ACP Council of Ministers’ meeting was held on 30 May 2016 that primed the agenda items for the leaders of the ACP countries.  The Summit was held at a crucial juncture of the ACP group as the continuity of the ACP-EU partnership after 2020 is uncertain. Hence the summit was expected to discuss and pass key decisions to help the ACP smoothly navigate towards its future before the Cotonou agreement expires and stamp out a guiding path for the group’s 79 developing countries before 2020.

One of the major deliberation agenda items was on the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) Report. The EPG was established in 2012 under the leadership of the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and comprising several prominent personalities from the six regions of the ACP.  After the hearing of the report, the Summit directed the Council of the ACP Ministers to work on the technical aspects of the implementation of the group’s future based on the EPG report along with the report of the Future Perspective Working Group. The Summit also agreed to convene the next Summit in 2018.

During the Summit, a round table discussion was also held with the theme “Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to the Challenges of Sustainable Development” and divided into three topics:

1. Equitable and sustainable development for ACP Countries and Peoples
2. Enhancing the role of the ACP Group in Global Governance for Development
3. Peace, Security and Stability as essential elements for Sustainable Development

The outcome of the discussion will feed the group’s future strategic orientation with the objective of consolidating and expanding the group’s interest and visibility in the global fora. Trade, climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were among the major items of debate of the Summit. The delegation of Ethiopia made important contributions during the deliberation.

In its conclusion, the Summit adopted the Declaration on the 8th Summit of ACP Heads of Stat and Government of the ACP Group of States and the Waigani Communique on the Future Perspective of the ACP Group of States in which the ACP leaders reaffirmed their commitment to make the ACP group a leading global organization.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tedros Adhanom discussed with a High-level European Union Delegation, one that spearheads the mission on dealing with the challenge of migration. The discussion covered signing strategic cooperation agreement on migration and strengthening further cooperation between Ethiopia and the European Union. Mr. Laurent Mushel, Director DG HOME of EU who led the EU delegation praised Ethiopia’s open door policy and out of camp policy. He said EU would like to further cooperate and build partnership on the issue of migration. The EU is set to sign strategic cooperation agreement with Ethiopia on migration, Mr. Laurent noted. Dr Tedros stated that his country is grateful to the strategic cooperation agreement that will be signed between Ethiopia and the European Union. Dr. Tedros said Ethiopia has put a lot of effort to curb migration on a national level. It has established a national council and is working relentlessly, he added.  The Minister further said Ethiopia’s open door policy has contributed much in building people-to-people ties between countries in the region. He underlined Ethiopia would like to further strengthen the cooperation with the EU in such score.

The Netherlands is sending another 3 million euros in extra aid to drought stricken Ethiopia, Minister Lilianne Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation announced on Monday, ANP reports.

Read more: http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/05/16/netherlands-sends-%EF%BB%BFe3-million-extra-aid-ethiopia/

H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga visited the University of Namur, which is located in the french-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium and held a useful discussion with the rector of the University, Professor Yves Poullet, with staff of the University and Ethiopian students who are currently studying in the university.

The objective of the meeting was to explore ways to establish an enhanced academic collaboration between the university of Namur and a selection of Ethiopian universities for the mutual academic and research benefit. The Embassy had a very useful discussion on these topics with the University.

So far, the university of Namur has provided 25 scholarship to Ethiopian students, mainly at masters level and a few PhDs.

Pictures © University of Namur

The European Union Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Missions in Ethiopia (20 April 2016) A criminal attack on 15 April launched by armed elements from South Sudan on Jakawo, Gambella region, Ethiopia, led to the loss of over two hundred lives on the Ethiopian side and over one hundred Ethiopian children have been abducted.
The EU expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and calls for the South Sudanese authorities to ensure the immediate return of the abducted children to their families and that those responsible for this act of violence are held accountable. This attack is a tragic reminder of the need to achieve lasting peace, justice and rule of law in South Sudan.