Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation last Tuesday.
Shade briefed the European Commissioner on the current social, economic and political situation of the African country and the concrete steps towards consolidating peace and reconstruction and recovery efforts.
For his part, Urpilainen expressed his commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Ethiopian government, and stressed the European Union’s readiness to launch today the multi-year indicative program (2024-2027) to support local government authorities.
This €650 million program will prioritize green growth, inclusive human development, governance and peacebuilding. Urpilainen stressed that cooperation in these vital sectors must be accompanied by an active political dialogue with the government.
According to the country file, the two sides also exchanged views on ways of cooperation to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ethiopia and the European Union, including resuming the budget support method.
The Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, spoke with Deputy Prime Minister and Head of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonen.
During a courtesy visit to Mekonnen last Wednesday, Weber praised the fruitful engagements with the Addis Ababa government in recent years, which he believes have helped restore bilateral relations.
For his part, Mekonnen stated that Ethiopia pays special attention to its relations with the European Union and reiterated the government’s commitment to renewing its cooperation and addressing outstanding issues through dialogue.
He pointed out that the implementation of national mechanisms such as the national dialogue and transitional justice are new starting points that promise to address the basic problems in the country.
Both processes are derived from the Pretoria Peace Agreement signed last November in South Africa, which ended the conflict between the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, mediated by the African Union.
Another highlight of the week was the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) identifying participants in five regional states and two municipal administrations with the aim of a more inclusive process.
ENDC Chief Commissioner Mesfin Araya explained that they are holding discussions with various sectors of society until they reach all nine states in preparation for the dialogue scheduled for next year.
Araya highlighted those previous meetings held on Tuesday with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and senior government officials to present the current status of the committee’s work. The government expressed its commitment to implementing the consensus reached at the conclusion of the national dialogue.
Regarding this meeting, Ahmed wrote on his account on the social network X, formerly Twitter, that the national dialogue promises to be an important milestone in collective efforts to reach an understanding on controversial issues.
Proclamation No. 1265/2021 grants the authority powers that include establishing working procedures for the national dialogue process, selecting participants, and identifying differences between political and opinion leaders, as well as between sectors of society.
This is done by conducting studies, organizing public consultations, or using alternative means. It is also charged with setting the agenda for the national dialogue and facilitating its process.
RO/NMR
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