Ethiopia reaffirmed commitment to the global response to the #COVID19 pandemic.

The United Nations General Assembly has held a two-day Special Virtual Session (3-4 December 2020) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The session was convened upon the request of Azerbaijan on behalf of members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in recognition of the need for a global response to the pandemic.

Representing Ethiopia at the Session, H.E. Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs has delivered his remarks via a pre-recorded video message.

He underscored the need for global solidarity to effectively respond to the unprecedented crisis and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment in this regard.

He further noted the encouraging progress in the development of the COVID vaccine and expressed Ethiopia’s full support for the COVAX initiative.

Mr. Demeke also indicated that Ethiopia subscribes to the growing international consensus that the vaccine should be indeed a global public good — accessible and affordable to everyone, everywhere.

He recalled that Africa has been urging G20 countries to provide an effective economic stimulus package that includes relief and deferred payments underlining the pandemic’s detrimental economic effects.

Finally, he said he is optimistic that the outcome of the session will catalyze and coordinate a unified global response and pave the way for an inclusive, sustainable, green, and resilient recovery.

Many world leaders, United Nations principals, and other relevant stakeholders have participated in the session.

The #spokesperson of Foreign Affairs of #Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti, gave the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing on December 20, 2020 to the media. In his presentation, the Ambassador focused on the diplomatic activities related to the law enforcement operation in #Tigray, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD), #capacity building to the Ministry’s staff and #economic and citizen-centered diplomatic activities within the past two weeks. Please, find here summary of the briefing.

I. Operation in #Tigray

The Ministry has been actively engaging in activities that aimed at making concerned bodies understand the ongoing government operation in Tigray through Diplomatic tours, Phone conversations, and various media engagements.

#Diplomatic tours
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, has been on a diplomatic tour in Europe to discuss the situation in Tigray and the government’s law enforcement operation in the region. Accordingly, he met the President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Sophie Wilmès , U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominique Rabb , AU High Representative and Vice-President Joseph Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, Belgium’s Foreign Minister, Sophie Wilmes and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, Luigi Di Mayo. Aside from delivering message of Prime Minister H.E. Abiy Ahmed to the heads of State and Government in these European countries, the Deputy Prime Minister made briefings on:

• The illegal moves of the TPLF Junta Contrary to the political, economic, military and diplomatic reforms of the last two and a half years and the extensive efforts by the federal government, elders, etc. to bring the group back to normalcy.

• The TPLF clique has been sponsoring violent activities in various areas of the country, regardless of the patience and peaceful treatment of the federal government.

• The group suddenly attacked the Northern Command of the National Defence Forces and looted military equipment necessitating the law enforcement operation in the region.

• The federal government was expediting its law enforcement operation with minimum causalities to civilians

The leaders in Europe have expressed their concern over the protection of civilians and interest to cooperate with the Ethiopian government on humanitarian issues.

#Phone Conversations
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• Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Demeke Mekonnen has held phone conversations with the Foreign Ministers of the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Austria and Denmark.

• The federal government law enforcement operation in Tigray region is over with minimum causalities to civilians.

• The government is working with national and international agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to affected people.

• The government is working closely with the government of Sudan to get displaced people back to their homes.

• Rehabilitation and reconstruction works in Tigray region are underway.

• The manhunt is underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.

• Access to Telecommunication services in some parts of Tigray has been resumed, while Alamata gets full services.

#Media Engagements
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H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien gave interviews to Reuters and TRT World on current issues in Tigray.

Ethiopian ambassadors in various countries have appeared on various media outlets to explain current issues in Tigray.

II. #GERD

• The Ministry and Ethiopian missions all over the world have successfully completed the plan to run several (about 9) joint webinar discussions on various issues related to the GERD from November 12-November 30, 2020.

• Our Missions in Doha and Rwanda have raised more than 2 million birr in buying bonds and donations to the construction of the dam.

III. #Capacity Building
The ministry in collaboration with #UNITAR (the United Nations Institute for Training and Research) provided a 4-day e-workshop on Frontier Diplomacy that has been given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia’s staff. The training was aimed at equipping diplomats with the latest skills and knowledge in cyber diplomacy, cybersecurity, and science diplomacy. State Minister, H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano gave a closing speech highlighting the Ministry’s commitment to continue to equip its staff with the latest skills and knowledge that would help diplomats to make informed decisions.

Iv. #Economic and Citizen-centered Diplomacy

• In collaboration with the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), discussions were held with foreign investors and their representatives to address their concerns about their investment in the Tigray region. Subsequent discussions are scheduled to address protection of lives and investment interests of foreigners in the region.

• State Minister H.E. Tsion Teklu has participated in online business forums prepared by our missions in Brussels and Moscow. The Brussels webinar aimed at promoting Ethiopian coffee to Belgium and Luxembourg markets and raise awareness about Ethiopian coffee to coffee importers in the stated two countries. Belgium is the 5th destination for Ethiopian Coffee after Germany, Saudi Arabia, the USA and Japan. The Moscow business forum promoted tourism opportunities in Ethiopia to tour operators in Moscow.

• A tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Tourism Ethiopia to collaborate on tourism activities.

• Ambassador Dewano Kedir participated and delivered an opening speech at an online forum organized to strengthen Ethiopia’s trade relations with Indonesia and highlighted the potential of our country’s foreign trade and investment.

• This week, 325 Ethiopians have returned from Saudi Arabia, 33 of them are children.

Elections 2021 discussions with Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations

1. H.E. Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, received at his office today (December 01), H.E. Parfait Onanga, special envoy of the United Nations for the Horn of Africa.

Talking with the special envoy, Mr. Demeke Mekonnen explained that the operation that the federal government is undertaking in the Tigray region aimed at restoring constitutionality and rule of law.

The government is taking all the necessary caution for the protection of civilians and the avoidance of collateral damage during the operation, Mr. Demeke added.

The government has succeeded in wresting control of most of the areas in Tigray, he said adding that the government has started to set up interim administrations in the liberated areas.

Since most of the areas are under government control, the government is ready to facilitate the works of humanitarian actors in the region, he said.

He said the government is providing humanitarian assistance to people who need urgent support based on the needs assessment studies conducted by government bodies.

He also explained the government’s readiness to support all Ethiopians that have fled to return back to their communities.

The special envoy thanked Mr. Demeke for the briefing and underlined the need to continue to ensure the protection of civilians, human rights, and access to humanitarian assistance to the affected areas.

MoFA

 

https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/eu-affairs/143059/ethiopia-on-the-right-path-to-reform-and-democratization/

 

HE Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia met with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of EU Commission, Joseph Borrell on 24 November 2020 and Commissioner Janez Lenarčič the European Commissioner for Crisis Management on 25 November 2020.
H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the High Representative and Commissioner on the current situations in Tigray recounting the chain of events that led up to the on-going law enforcement measures that are being undertaken by the Federal Government in the region.
HE Mr. Demeke Mekonnon said the international community, particularly the EU needs to understand the context in which the Federal Government have been led to take measures against the TPLF junta emphasizing the need to uphold law and order and ensure sustainable peace and stability in the country which partners such as the EU have been investing in since the reform began three years ago.
TPLF leaders and their cliques have been running amok looting the country, instigating ethnic conflicts.
Moreover, egoistically the TPLF Junta later attacked the Ethiopian National Defense Forces on 3 November 2020 compromising the constitutional order and the sovereignty of the state as well as in the process undermining the hard-fought gains achieved, said the Minister.
HE Mr. Demeke Mekonnen added that the Federal Government had been criticized by the public for not taking measures against the TPLF leaders and their cliques for the manner which they had been involved in the criminal activities mentioned above but chose to exhibit patience opening up all peaceful avenues for the group to redeem themselves and benefit from the new political dispensation the country was ushering in.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also said that the Government had made abundantly clear from the beginning when the law enforcement measures were launched against the TPLF junta that law and order should fully be restored in the region and perpetrators who have committed heinous crimes against the National Defense Forces should be brought to justice.
Regarding the humanitarian situation, the safety of civilians and fulfilling the humanitarian needs have been the Government’s utmost priority and is working with different UN agencies on the ground to address those needs by international humanitarian law obligations, said the Minister. He appreciated the support mobilized by the EU for the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and particularly for mobilizing additional resources for Ethiopian refugees in the Sudan.
Commissioner Janez Lenarčič assured the DPM that the EU has not the intention to intervene in the internal affairs of the country but to provide humanitarian assistance to the needy ones.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also added now that the law enforcement measure is in its final stage, the people of Tigray will soon be liberated from TPLF criminals and the Ethiopian people will continue to expedite their march towards bringing the reforms to fruition.