Category: Politics

Ethiopia and Pakistan discussed possibilities of exchanging Parliamentary delegations to further strengthen the bilateral ties and foster robust cooperation in diverse areas.

The discussion took place between Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, Jemal Beker and Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate.

During the meeting, both the dignitaries discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Jemal Beker said volume of bilateral trade between the two countries was minimal, while underlining the need to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries by developing economic and business linkages.

Highlighting the importance of Ethiopia under Pakistan’s Engage Africa policy, the ambassador said Ethiopian market offered lucrative business, trade and investment opportunities to the Pakistan’s business community.

Ambassador Jemal invited Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani to visit Ethiopia which was a land of origins and a gateway to the African continent.

Chairman Sanjrani expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian parliamentary leadership, government, and the ambassador for extending him invitation to visit Ethiopia.

He said the exchange of parliamentary delegations would fortify relations between the two countries.

Chairman Sanjrani emphasized the importance of the existing strong bond between the two nations, rooted in shared history, common interests, and mutual support at international platforms.

He lauded the Government of Ethiopia for launching the Ethiopian Airlines in Karachi which would not only connect Pakistan with Ethiopia but also with entire Africa.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

An Ethiopian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen is participating at the High-level Political Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Heads of State and Government attending the forum underlined that the impact of COVID-19, climate change, and geopolitical standoffs made the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals lag behind schedules.

The leaders also underscored the necessity of implementing Addis Ababa Action Agenda (4A) in its letter and spirit to meet the objectives of SDGs, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking at the event, Antonio Gutters, UN Secretary General, said in his statement that it is high time to rise to the occasion to create a prosperous and peaceful world where no one will be excluded.

He also said that to achieve the SDGs, it is vital to transform outdated and unjustified multinational financial institutions and frameworks.

The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) is scheduled to begin on tomorrow, it was learned.

World leaders adopted the SDGs in 2015, promising to leave no one behind. The goals include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as green energy, and providing quality universal education and lifelong learning opportunities.

Despite commitments, 1.2 billion people were still living in poverty as of 2022, and roughly eight per cent of the global population, or 680 million people, will still be facing hunger by the end of the decade.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonnen said that Ethiopia and Cuba have agreed to establish a ministerial consultation platform in order to elevate the special relationship the two countries have been enjoying.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen participated at the Heads of State and Government Summit of the Group of 77 + China that took place in Cuba from 15 to 16 September 2023, leading Ethiopian delegation.

Foreign Minister Demeke met and discussed with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other officials on the margins of the summit.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia has carried out successful activities both at the summit and in its bilateral engagements.

In a remark he made following the conclusion of the Group of 77 + China Summit, Demeke said the Summit was timely for developing countries in order to overcome their challenges and accelerate development based on science, technology and innovation.

The relationship between Ethiopia and Cuba is not a regular one rather a special one which was built by blood and sacrifice, Demeke added.

Ethiopia and Cuba have strong people-to-people relationship through the scholarship that continued over the years, he stated, and noted “we have agreed to establish a ministerial consultation platform in order to elevate the special relationship we enjoy.”

“Due to his unique attention to Cuba’s relation with Ethiopia, the president has invited a visit by higher leadership level,” the deputy premier added.

According to the deputy premier, Ethiopia can draw lesson from Cuba’s rich experience on biomass and biomedical while Ethiopia will share some of its experiences to Cuba.

The two countries have been receiving various pressures at the international arena and they still do one way or the other, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Demeke further added that Ethiopia and Cuba have expressed interest to cooperate and support each other and overcome challenges.

The two countries have also agreed to strengthen their cooperation on international diplomacy arena.

The Group of 77 + China Summit was beneficial for developing countries to ensure their national interest by resisting the dynamic global geopolitics, Demeke said, and added that Ethiopia had a successful participation in the summit and will continue to participate.

Ethiopia, as one of the developing countries, has shared its policy in science, technology and innovation during the summit, it was indicated.

The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The membership of Ethiopia in BRICS will increase the political and economic standing of the country in the international arena, Senior Fellow Matthew Ehret told ENA.

The senior fellow at American University in Moscow noted that Ethiopia’s membership serves it as a major bedrock and carries major weight as the country is the seat of the African Union(AU) and is a pivotal hub for the pan-African reality.

According to him, Ethiopia has many interesting points of potential cooperation with countries in the expanding BRICS.

“I am thinking immediately of the 17-point agreement that was signed between the UAE, also a new member of the BRICS plus grouping, and Ethiopia very recently — almost every point of economic, technological sharing, governance cooperation that are very important in counterterrorism activities as well as infrastructural and agricultural development. So you have many interesting points of potential.”

In general, Ethiopia’s BRICS membership will enhance its economic and political influence in the global arena, he stated.

“This is going to increase Ethiopia’s political and economic clout very much,” the senior fellow stressed.

There is a new way of thinking about economic value, self-interest, and cooperation, which is embodied by the BRICS.

For Ehret, this new reality means that the New Development Bank could become a real alternative to the IMF and the World Bank.

He also believes that Ethiopia can leverage benefits from both the West and the BRICS group by devising and implementing competent, successful and mature policy.

Noting that BRICS represents over 32 percent of the world GDP, the senior fellow said, “Now when you see the additional members that will be added at the beginning of next year, Ethiopia being a major bedrock, this is going to propel that to 37 percent of the world GDP.”

The membership of Ethiopia in BRICS is expected to further enhance and expand the existing bilateral relations and cooperation of Ethiopia with BRICS member countries.

“We are talking about something pushing on 50 percent of the world’s population to be represented by this new agency, and even much more people as well because when dealing with 11 BRICS members — and also dealing with the regions with close economic cooperation and ties, and will feasibly be following soon as the BRICS could go from 11 to much greater number in a short order.”

The expanding BRICS is bringing mutually beneficial and sustainable alternative models for many countries, Ehret stressed.

Moreover, the senior fellow said that with strong relations developing between Ethiopia and the BRICS founding members and the new entrants, the country’s position as the seat of the AU and a crucial hub for the Pan-African reality further bolsters its significance within the bloc.

Recall that Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Argentina were invited to join the BRICS last month.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Late Ambassador Hadino Hishongwa was a hero, kind-hearted, loving, trustworthy and a mentor who left indelible footprints as a diplomat for Swapo in West Africa, the former West Germany, Australia and the Nordic countries during the 1970s.

These were the words of President Hage Geingob to describe the late Hishongwa at a memorial service held in his honour at Onekwaya in the Endola Constituency of the Ohangwena Region on Friday.

Geingob in a speech read on his behalf by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, said through his commitment and sterling efforts, Swapo was able to receive Volvo vehicles from Sweden which enabled the party to be mobile and therefore aided their Liberation Struggle greatly.

Later on, in the 1980s, he opened a Swapo Office in Austria and the Pacific countries as the Swapo Chief Representative after which he returned to Angola and was again appointed as Swapo’s secretary for youth in 1987.

“Even though at this stage he was 44 years old and no longer technically a youth, Swapo trusted him because he was a tried, tested, loyal and disciplined cadre who was committed and best suited to advancing the issues of the party youth cadres,” he said.

Hishongwa’s widow Ester Nghishiiko-Hishongwa described her late husband as a hardworking person, who entertained no laziness in any form or shape.

Nghishiiko-Hishongwa stated that hard work for her late husband was like a hobby, and any time he decided to do something he would stand up and do it.

“He was a man of great stamina, and when he starts doing something, he will press on until he accomplishes it even if it means it was not perfectly done,” she added.

Nghishiiko-Hishongwa indicated that her late husband was among those who restored the Oukwanyama Kingdom.

Meanwhile, mourners after mourners described Hishongwa as a gift not only to his family but the Namibian people at large, an educator and inspiration to many people.

Hishongwa served as the Swapo Chief Representative to the Nordic countries, West and East Africa, Swapo Organiser for Returning Exiles, for Youth and Elections and Foreign Secretary of the National Union of Namibian Workers.

He also served in Namibia’s Executive as Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, Deputy Minister of Labour and Human Resources Development and has been a member of the National Assembly for 15 years.

Following his retirement from public office, Hishongwa went on to serve the community as Senior Headman of Omhedi District in the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority until his passing aged 80 on 01 September 2023.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Ethio-Qatar Parliamentary Diplomacy Friendship Group and Qatari Ambassador to Ethiopia, Hamad Mohammed Al-Dosari held a discussion today on bilateral relations, according to the House of Peoples of Representatives.

The purpose of the discussion is to introduce to the members of the friendship group with the ambassador of the State of Qatar to Ethiopia, to work together on the treatment of Ethiopian workers in Qatar, it was indicated.

The deliberation also intends to facilitate the exchange of experience between the parliaments of the two countries in various sectors and activities, to further strengthen the existing bilateral relationship, increase cooperation and pave the way for working together.

In the discussion, the Chairman of the Ethio-Qatar Friendship Group, Mohammed Al-Arusi explained that Ethiopia has a historical relationship with Qatar and the relationship is based on mutual benefit and will continue to be strengthened in all fields.

Qatari Ambassador to Ethiopia, Hamad Mohammed Al-Dosari, pointed out that the relationship between the two countries is deep-rooted and developing.

The ambassador further stated that Qatar will continue to strengthen bilateral relations with Ethiopia in media, labor management, investment and other fields.

In the discussion, the relationship between the two countries has continued since 1995 and they have signed 11 cooperation agreements in various sectors of economy, tourism, employment, labor management, investment and infrastructure.

After the discussion, an official visit was made to the Science Museum of Ethiopia, where Ethiopia’s current and future technological as well as scientific development was explained to the Ambassador Hamad Mohammed Al-Dosari.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The government of Cameroon says F CFA 76,7 billion will be invested in the coffee sector to revive the sector.

The announcement was made on Tuesday September 12 by the Minister of agriculture and rural development, Gabriel Mbairobe in Kouoptamo, Noun division of the West region of Cameroon as he officially launched the activities of a support project to revive the coffee sector.

The objective of this project is to double coffee production by the year 2027 which currently stands at 11 557 tons (Robusta and arabica) according to figures from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board.

The Government targets a cumulative production of 22,086 tons of quality green coffee by 2027 with 17, 228 tons of robusta and 4,858 tons of arabica.

To attain this objective, the cocoa and coffee development fund will provide 9,9% of the project’s total funding, that is, F CFA 76 billion. More to that, the sum of FCFA 4 billion will also be injected into the project budget as coffee input subsidies for the year 2023 that will be meant for producers.

The project that will run within a 5-year period, shows government’s engagement to revive the coffee sector which plays a very important role in the country’s economy.

Source: Cameroon News Agency