Ethiopia committed to holding inclusive, free, and fair elections: Amb
Addis Ababa, March 12, 2021 (FBC) – Ethiopian ambassador to the UK, Teferi Melese attended the virtual annual general meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Chaired by Laurence Robertson MP, the Group aims to promote knowledge of, and interest in, Ethiopia and Djibouti; and to maintain good relations with those countries.
On the occasion, ambassador Teferi briefed members on the current situation in Ethiopia, including the situation in Tigray, the GERD, the Ethio-Sudan border issue, and the upcoming elections.
On Tigray, the ambassador highlighted the current status of humanitarian support to the region and assured members that the Government of Ethiopia is doing all it can to support its citizens.
He called upon international partners to stand with Ethiopia and augment support to the region as currently, the Ethiopian Government contributes the lion share of humanitarian support to the region (70%), while international partners and NGOs contribute only 30%.
He also assured members that the government is taking concrete actions to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of alleged human rights violations.
On the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), ambassador Teferi said the construction is going as planned and the project is expected to be completed by 2023.
He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s assertion for a win-win solution to all, and its long-standing commitment to reaching a fair agreement with downstream countries.
On the Ethio-Sudan border conflict, ambassador Teferi reiterated Ethiopia’s commitment to solving the issue peacefully through existing mechanisms.
On the upcoming elections, which are scheduled to take place on 5 June, the ambassador noted Ethiopia’s commitment to holding an inclusive, free, and fair elections.
Concluding the meeting, members of the APPG appreciated ambassador Teferi’s briefing and assured him of their support going forward.
They also committed to working closely with the embassy in its endeavours to strengthen Ethio-UK links.