The European Union and its member states have mobilized €487 Million (19 Billion Birr) to support the Ethiopian Health System amid coronavirus pandemic.

The information from the Union indicates the financial support is aimed to enhance quarantine sites, realize social protection enhancement, livelihood recovery, and strengthen Ethiopia’s economic response to the pandemic.

Furthermore, the EU has demonstrated continued promotion of multilateralism and underlining the need for an integrated, effective, and coherent global response to this pandemic through WHO.

The EU with Team Europe is also contributing 60 million Euros to IGAD ‘s regional coordination in supporting border facilities, continuity of health services, ensuring critical supply chains for safe trade, and promoting digital solutions for the COVID-19 health response.

Source: FBC

The tripartite negotiation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt over GERD continued for the fifth day on Monday, 15 June 2020.

The negotiation on the guidelines and rules for the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was held under the chairmanship of Egypt and in the presence of the observers.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy of Ethiopia, the three countries negotiated on technical issues on the first filling and annual operation of the dam.

The chair of the previous day meeting recapped the issues on which convergence is reached, including the rules on the first stage filling, volume of environmental flow, guidelines for first stage filling, the drought management rules, rules on dam safety, environmental and social impact assessment studies, and entry into force of the guidelines and rules.

Yesterday’s negotiation mainly focused on discussions on drought management rules during the filling and operation of the dam.

Ethiopia underlined the need to follow an approach that ensures the joint responsibility of the three countries in the incidence of drought while preserving the optimal operation of the dam.

The negotiation will reconvene on Tuesday 16 June 2020. The legal teams will convene earlier today to tackle the predominantly legal issues and the trilateral meeting will follow with the chairmanship of Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed reiterated the value of peace and reconciliation in the Horn region as the foundation for regional integration.

He made the remark during a consultation summit held between President Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo of Somalia and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi in Djibouti.

The summit follows a meeting between the two leaders facilitated by the Prime Minister in February 2020 in Addis Ababa.

In June 14th’s summit, he recounted the abundant resources in the region that can be utilized effectively for regional development, if cooperation and peace are made to be leading forces, according to the office of the Prime Minister.

In the end, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy, together with participants of the meeting, planted seedlings in Djibouti.

Source: FBC

THE MINISTRY OF WATER, IRRIGATION AND ENERGY
14 JUNE 2020
Addis Ababa

The tripartite negotiation between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan on the Guidelines and Rules for the first filling and annual operation for the GERD continued for the fourth day on Saturday, 13 June 2020, via video-conference in the presence of the observers.
Under the Chairmanship of the Sudan, the three countries negotiated on technical issues on the first filling and annual operation of the GERD. Based on the filling schedule of the GERD, the countries reached understanding on the first stage-filling, volume of environmental flow, guidelines for first stage-filling, and the approach to drought management rules. The Countries also reached an understanding on dam safety rules, environmental and social impact assessment studies, and entry into force of the Guidelines and Rules. On Sunday the three countries will exchange the Guidelines and rules incorporating the outcomes of the negotiation.
While recognizing the progress made in the previous days of the negotiations, Ethiopia would like to stress that;
First, the ongoing negotiation is not on the allocation of the Blue Nile waters.

Second, Ethiopia will be bound by the guidelines and rules for the first filling and annual operation of the GERD that it will sign with the two downstream countries.

Third, such a commitment will only be guided by the Declaration of Principles of March 2015 that stipulates relevant international principles that are adequate for a GERD project.

Fourth, any attempt to confuse the international community or campaign to exert maximum pressure on Ethiopia to accept colonial based treaties that it is not a party to and foreclose its legitimate right of using Abbay/the Blue Nile camouflaged in the guidelines and rules on the first filling and annual operation is unacceptable.

Fifth, Ethiopia stresses that it is a genuine negotiation based on good faith and transparency that will result in finalizing the process with a win-win outcome.
In this context, The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has found the Press Release of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt of 13 June 2020 regrettable. Despite the accusation of the Spokesperson that the “negotiations are faltering because of Ethiopia”, the truth is we have made progress and if the ongoing negotiation is to falter it is only because of Egypt’s obstinacy to maintain a colonial based water allocation agreement that denies Ethiopia and all the upstream countries their natural and legitimate rights.
On the way forward, the countries agreed to take stock of the outcomes of the negotiation and continue the negotiation on outstanding issues.
The negotiation will reconvene on Monday, 15 June 2020, with the chairmanship of Egypt.

The Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy

 

The tripartite negotiation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on the Guidelines and Rules for the first filling and annual operation for the GERD continued for the third day on Thursday, 11 June 2020, via video-conference in the presence of the observers.

Under the Chairmanship of Ethiopia, the three countries deliberated on issues of concern on the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. They also exchanged views on the Guidelines and Rules Ethiopia shared with the two downstream countries and the proposal by Sudan.

Ethiopia reiterated the need for the three countries to focus on and approach the negotiation with good faith and commitment to achieve a win-win outcome.

Ethiopia also underlined the only avenue for a result that serves the mutual benefit of the peoples of the three countries lies in technical negotiation.

Today’s meeting resulted in the adoption of the terms of reference for the observers that were discussed and agreed on the previous day. It has also been agreed to compare the exchanged documents and focus on the upcoming negotiation on the outstanding differences.

The negotiation will reconvene on Saturday, 13 June 2020, with the chairmanship of Sudan.

Ethiopia has unveiled its 10 year development plan themed “Ethiopia: An African Beacon of Prosperity”.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed said the 10 ten year plan aims to bring quality based economic growth; increase production and competitiveness; build a green and climate-resilient economy; institutional transformation; ensure fair and equitable opportunities for women and youth, and guarantee private sector led growth.

“With a five pillar focus area serving as a foundation for the effective development of other sectors, the plan sets out to capitalize on our existing strengths and abundant resources.” the Premier noted.

According to the Prime Minister, the energy sector plan is in particular quite ambitious given many of Ethiopia’s development needs are heavily reliant on it and energy is a crosscutting need.

Key factors for the Federal and Regional governments to enable a successful implementation of the ten-year plan include ensuring the impact of projects and investments undertaken to add value to GDP, focusing on the quality of projects so that expenditures are effective and transforming attitudes from ‘battling poverty’ narrative towards building multidimensional prosperity, the premier underscored.

Source: FBC

Ethiopia has confirmed 164 more coronavirus cases out of 6,630 samples tested over the last twenty-four hours. The new cases have increased the number of confirmed cases in Ethiopia to 2,670.

According to the Ministry of Health, only one of the cases is foreign national while the remaining all are Ethiopians ranging from 1 to 92 years old, out of the 117 are male and 47 are female.

Out of the total cases, 104 are identified from Addis Ababa while the other 26 from Somali, 22 from Amhara, 4 from Tigray, 4 from SNNP, 2 from Oromia, and 1 from Harari and the remaining 1 from Benshangul Gumuz Regional States.

The Ministry disclosed 5 more people have died from coronavirus taking the death toll to 40.

No recovery has been reported in the country over the last twenty-four hours.

Source: FBC

The House of Peoples Representatives is holding its 16^th regular session at Prime Minister Office’s meeting hall.

The house is expected to discuss the draft budget of the upcoming new Ethiopian fiscal year and refer it to the Revenue, Budget, and Finance committee of the parliament for further approval.

It is also anticipated that the parliament will pass a resolution on the postponement of the fourth national population and housing census which is arranged for the joint session of the two houses.

The office of the parliament said Revenue, Budget, and Finance Standing Committee of the house will scrutinize and approve the draft proclamation aimed to privatize public development enterprises.

According to the office, the legal, justice, and democratic affairs standing committee of the house will pass a resolution on the legalization of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council and Council of Ethiopian Evangelical Churches.

Source: FBC

In a press release issued today, Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy said Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan conducted their tripartite negotiation on the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam for the second day.

According to the ministry, on the second day of this meeting, Ethiopia shared its position on the current tripartite discussion to the two downstream countries.

In this regard, firstly, Ethiopia reiterated its commitment for a genuine dialogue and negotiation on the guidelines and rules for the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

It is in this context that Ethiopia welcomed the resumption of the talks at the level of Ministers of Water Affairs.

Secondly, Ethiopia stressed that the Agreement on the Declaration of Principles (DoP) on the GERD shall be respected in its entirety.

Thirdly, the role of the Observers is agreed not to exceed that of observing the negotiation and sharing good practices when jointly requested by the three countries.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Great Reset virtual meeting on the theme of shaping the global economic recovery and a new trajectory of growth.

Defining the global pandemic as a complex and adaptive challenge, the Prime Minister emphasized that the challenges can only be addressed through collective action and global cooperation.

“The current global landscape has created a new moral moment in history. There is a profound hunger for global leadership that can exercise moral imagination and moral courage on behalf of the common good,” he further shared.

Source: FBC