Addis Ababa, August 3, 2024 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) today disclosed that the pre-registration and verification process for an electronic passport (E-passport) has begun.
To ensure that the E-passport, which Ethiopia plans to implement next year, is internationally recognized, a consultation was held with senior officials from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.
A delegation led by Ms. Selamawit Dawit, the Director General of ICS, met with Juan Carlos Salazar, the Director General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, to discuss the implementation details.
During the meeting, Director-General Selamawit emphasized that Ethiopia has gained significant experience in the aviation sector and boasts Africa’s largest airline, which connects the world through its services.
She expressed gratitude towards the International Civil Aviation Organization for its support in travel document security operations. Additionally, Ms. Selamawit requested various forms of assistance from ICAO, including capacity-building training, to aid Ethiopia’s transition to an E-passport system.
Juan Carlos Salazar, in turn, expressed his appreciation for Ethiopia’s decision to adopt the electronic passport system and reaffirmed ICAO’s continued support to ICS.
It was mentioned that preparations are nearing completion for Ethiopia’s entry into the E-passport system during the next Ethiopian year.
The Ethiopian delegation, led by Ms. Selamawit, also held consultations with officials from the relevant institution to ensure that the E-passport technology used in land border control aligns with ICAO’s standards. Furthermore, it was stated that similar consultations will take place in the following days.