Addis Ababa, January 13, 2023 (FBC) – Ambassador Meles Alem, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, gave a biweekly briefing to the media today focusing on four major diplomatic activities of the Ministry over the past few weeks.
He begins by stating that seven newly appointed ambassadors to Ethiopia have presented their letters of credentials to President Sahle-Work Zewde today and expressed their support for the implementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
The visit to Ethiopia by the People’s Republic of China’s new Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, was also mentioned by Amb. Meles Alem.
He said it was the newly appointed minister’s first visit since he assumed office, demonstrating the Chinese Government’s commitment to its longstanding ties with Ethiopia.
In connection to that, Meles spoke about the signed memorandum of understanding that aimed to strengthen political consultations between the two countries and a 30 million Yuan debt cancellation agreement between the two sides.
The ambassador’s briefing also included the ongoing visits of the Foreign Ministers of France, Catherine Colonna, and Germany, Annalena Baerbock in Ethiopia.
He said Germany and France have a long-standing relationship with Ethiopia and that their development assistance to the country has played a significant role in improving governance, eradicating poverty, and advancing education in Ethiopia.
The Spokesperson added that their meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen highlighted the Pretoria Peace Agreement’s implementation process and noted the need to continue supporting reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
In concluding his briefing, Ambassador Meles told the media that the annual meeting and training of Ethiopian mission leaders, which lasted for three weeks covering a range of critical topics has ended today yielding fruitful results.
He said, at the end of the training, DPM & FM Demeke Mekonen tabled a presentation on the title “Ethiopian Diplomacy in the Changing World Alignment,” which pointed the way forward in Ethiopia’s diplomacy, as per MFA Ethiopia.