Addis Ababa, June 17, 2024 (FBC) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, met with Ambassador Dennis Francis, President of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, at his office today.
Ambassador Taye expressed gratitude to Ambassador Dennis Francis for his efforts during his presidency, particularly in facilitating priority to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and highlighting the agendas of developing countries, including financing for climate change adaptation, debt reduction, capacity building, and technological support.
Ambassador Denis Francis, for his part, commended Ethiopia’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation as a founding member of the United Nations. He praised the country’s development achievements and pledged continued support from the UN for Ethiopia’s development plans.
He also lauded Ethiopia’s national consultation and transitional justice efforts aimed at peace consolidation and assured UN’s support for the initiatives.
Ambassador Taye emphasized that the Ethiopian government’s primary focus is on its development agenda and reassured ongoing efforts will continue to ensure peace consolidation. He also called for the need for the reform of the United Nations to make it fit for current global realities, noting Ethiopia’s strong participation in the upcoming “Summit of the Future” in September.
The two sides discussed on the preparatory meeting of the 4th Finance for Development Conference, which Ethiopia will host next July, and stressed the importance of active participation from all stakeholders, including the UN.
The meeting included a comprehensive exchange of views on the current situation in Ethiopia, issues in the Horn of Africa, and international affairs of common interest.