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ETHIOPIA In Focus 
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Press Brief Diplomacy Meles Urges International Community To Support
Ethiopia's Poverty Reduction Strategies, Italy To Return Axum Obelisk COMESA Most Successful Regional Block in Realizing
African Union: Meles Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was one of the most successful regional blocks envisaged to play a pivotal role in the realization of the African Union. Meles said it has become abundantly clear that regional economic integration was bedrock for the transformation of the Organization of African Unity into an African Union. Prime Minister made the remarks at the opening of the 7th Summit of the COMESA Heads of State and Government held in Ethiopia. Meles said that African governments must play the leadership role in moving forward the agenda of regional economic integration. " No economic integration agenda, not owned by the African peoples, is going to succeed," Meles noted. The Prime Minister, however, said much has yet to be done to attain the COMESA's economic integration agenda. Meles has stressed the need for Africa and its development partners to work together to bring about a successful transformation and integration of Africa's economies. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) needs to serve as the guide in the implementation of COMESA's priority agenda, he said. Meles, who has now assumed the current chairmanship of COMESA, has reaffirmed his government's commitment in advancing the agenda for the accelerated development of the region. ENA May 23,2002 Canadian Premier Visits Ethiopia; NEPAD on Upcoming G-8 Agenda Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien visited Addis Ababa in April as part of a seven-nation African tour, where he presented the keynote address on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Chretien noted that NEPAD would be high on the agenda at the upcoming G-8 Summit, which will be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada in July. "Throughout Africa, we see evidence that the underlying principles of NEPAD are taking root", said Chretien. He also met with Prime Minister Meles, who reasserted that African leaders and people alike have the political will and determination to implement NEPAD, which was conceived by Africans for Africans. The Ethiopian Herald April 11, 2002 Union Plays Leading Role in Realizing African Union: President Girma President Girma Wolde-Giorgis said the African Parliamentary Union (APU) should contribute its share in support of the regional initiatives being undertaken to realize the African Union (AU). The regional integration and the new partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) couldn't achieve their set objectives unless supported by institutions such as APU, Girma said. The president was speaking on the 40th meeting of the executive committee of the APU. He said the APU should be in the forefront that could facilitate ways for economic development and ensure the establishment of democratic institutions in the region. The new " pan-African" initiatives herald the dawn of a new age of development for Africa both at the economic and democratic arena, the president said. House speaker Dawit Yohannes, who is also APU current executive committee chairperson, on his part has stressed the need to strengthen continental efforts to create a working common ground for African representative institutions. Dawit said African Parliaments are not only playing a key role in the processes of strengthening democracy at the domestic level but are also becoming important players in the international arena reflecting the grassroots' desire of their constituencies. ENA May 6, 2002 Ethiopia, Sudan Establish sub-Committees Ethiopia and the Sudan have established two sub-committees charged with the task of overseeing the implementation of earlier agreements of expediting trade and enabling free movement of people along the common borders. The sub-committees, formed at a joint meeting of delegations in Gondar town of the Amhara State would work towards creating favorable conditions for border area trade as well as for the easy flow of tourists and people to the border towns. The sub-committees comprising members drawn from administration, defense, police and immigration offices of the two countries have also signed agreements on various bilateral issues. Head of the Sudanese delegation, Colonel Mohammed Al-Fatah on the occasion expressed his confidence that the newly established sub-committees would further consolidate the existing relations of the two countries. Head of the Ethiopian Delegation, Luel Yehualashet said on his part that the Ethiopian government would work closely and in consultations with the sub-committees, which he said would lay the foundations for closer ties between the two sisterly countries. ENA June 4, 2002 Ethiopia, Morocco Sign Cooperation Agreements Meles, EU Commissioner Discuss Humanitarian Aid Supply The European Union (EU) will replace direct supply of relief food aid by financial donation to undertake the purchase of food grains at the Ethiopian local markets, Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid with the European Commission told Prime Minister Meles Zenawi during his official visit to Belgium. Commissioner Paul Nelson made the announcement while conferring with Prime Minister Meles in Brussels, Belgium. The two parties discussed issues related to the volume of relief aid to Ethiopia and the implementation modalities. On the occasion, Nelson expressed appreciation to Ethiopia's food security strategy and the new mode the Ethiopian government is requesting in the implementation of humanitarian relief supply in the country. The long-standing development cooperation that exists between Ethiopia and the European Union has been further consolidated during the past 10 years, Nelson said. He also pledged the Commission's further assistance in policy matters as well as in the designing of programs, which he said the Ethiopian government was undertaking with commendable sense of ownership. Prime Minister Meles on his part briefed the commissioner about the policies
Ethiopia has been pursuing in its endeavors to bring about peace and stability
in the Horn of Africa, especially the efforts exerted with regard to changing
the grim reality in the stateless neighboring Somalia. Meles also expatiated
on the democratization and multi-party system in Ethiopia as well as the
achievements and pitfalls that have been witnessed in the process. Meles
has specified the material and technical support Ethiopia requires in
its attempts to set up and strengthen democratic institutions in the country.
Commissioner Nelson commended the political reform in the country and
pledged his commitment to During his stay Prime Minister Meles also met with EU President Pascal Lammy and ACP/EU V/President Glens Kinok and exchanged views on development in Ethiopia and the cooperation between the EU and Ethiopia. ENA June 7,200 Chinese Foreign Minister Says Visit to Ethiopia Successful The Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said, recent the three-day visit ,that Ethiopia was very successful. "I am very happy I paid this very successful visit to Ethiopia," the minister told journalists on his departure at the end of his visit. The Chinese Foreign Minister has met and held talks with President Girma Woldegiorgis and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. President Girma said on the occasion that the existing relation between Ethiopia and China has been built on a firm mutual cooperation and it has been showing a marked progress over the past few years. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on his part told the Chinese Foreign Minister that the two countries should further bolster their relations especially in the areas of trade, investment and health. Meles said Ethiopia was ready to draw lessons from the rich experience of China in the health sector, according to the official. Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin who has seen off Tang Jiaxuan also said the minister's visit was an extreme success, adding, "It has given us the opportunity to exchange views on a number of issues of mutual interest and of mutual concern". "With regard to bilateral cooperation, we have signed an agreement between the two ministries to have regular political consultations on a regular basis both in Addis and in Beijing," Seyoum said. "We have also signed a grant agreement providing for a technical assistance of the Chinese government," Seyoum said, adding, "we have agreed to expand and enhance our cooperation in the promotion of trade and investment". Ethiopia and China have agreed to continue consultations on this preparatory stage to make the follow up conference a success, Seyoum said. "We will hold a ministerial conference here in Addis Ababa the following year," he added. ENA January 12, 2002
A meeting held in Entebbe, Uganda has decided Addis Ababa to be the seat of Conflict early warning response mechanism. Utmost efforts have been exerted by the IGAD member states for the last two years to establish Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism, the release quoted the Ethiopian embassy in Kampala as saying. The member states have signed the agreement at the 21st summit of IGAD held in Khartoum, Sudan in January 2002, it said. According to the embassy, all member states of IGAD are required to ratify the agreement and establish national conflicts early warning and response mechanism institutions in their respective countries. Minister of state for foreign affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu led the Ethiopia delegation, it said, adding that all member states and secretary general of IGAD have attended the meeting. The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), which have been providing finical assistance for the establishment of Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism as well as foreign consults, were also in attendance. ENA June 8, 2002
July 2002 Vol.4 No.2 |
