Ethiopia, Switzerland hold 5th joint political consultation in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, September 6, 2022 (FBC) – The 5th Ethio-Switzerland joint political consultation was held today (September 6, 2022) in Addis Ababa, with the goal of deepening the two countries’ long-standing bilateral relationship.

Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Siri Walt, Deputy State Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs co-chaired the consultation, which covered bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Ambassador Tesfaye highlighted that the relationship between the two countries, which started in the 19th century, is getting stronger, and said Ethiopia highly values Switzerland’s partnership in terms of trade, development and humanitarian support.

He also briefed the Swiss delegation on the current situation in the country’s north, emphasizing the importance of fully supporting the African Union-led peace initiative and avoiding any parallel processes, as well as working together to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.

Siri Walt, for her part, mentioned that Switzerland attaches a special value to its relationship with Ethiopia and pointed out that Ethiopia is one of the nine “Lion Economies” identified by sub-Saharan African countries for further intensified economic ties.

The two sides agreed to strengthen follow-up on the implementation of signed agreements and explore areas of cooperation between parliaments, cities, and academic institutions.

The need for strong cooperation on development and environmental issues, with a special focus on Green Legacy, youth development, and migration, was also highlighted.

On regional issues, the two sides agreed to continuously exchange ideas on the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, with a special focus on fighting terrorism.

The issue of fair and equitable utilization of trans-boundary water resources was also mentioned in this regard. Finally, on multilateral issues, the two sides agreed on the need to coordinate common positions on multilateral fora.