Africa-Press – Ethiopia. December 26/2022 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen praised Ethiopian ambassadors and diplomats for preserving Ethiopia’s interests, living up to Ethiopians’ aspirations and the country’s rich heritage.
The annual performance evaluation and planning retreat of senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia kicks off in Sululta today at the African Leadership Excellence Academy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, delivered opening remarks, highlighting the internal and external challenges that tested Ethiopia’s diplomacy.
He cited the fighting in the country’s north, negotiations on the construction and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and Ethiopia-Sudan border conflicts as illustrations.
Demeke said the country has passed through various internal and external pressures over the past two years noting that those pressures were averted due to the coordinated efforts of the diplomats abroad and Ethiopian diaspora.
“Our ambassadors and diplomats deserve praise,” he said, “since they were effective in preserving Ethiopia’s interests, living up to Ethiopians’ aspirations and the country’s rich heritage.”
Because many issues do not receive definitive resolution in the diplomatic arena, and because world geopolitics is unpredictable, he said Ethiopian diplomats should operate proactively and in accordance with the Ministry’s reengagement strategy objectives.
Diplomats should work to strengthen Ethiopia’s diplomatic capabilities in the dynamic geopolitics of the globe, Demeke added. He stressed the need for more diplomatic works that fit Ethiopia’s situation.
He said diplomatic activity that takes the vulnerability of Ethiopia into account in the existing geopolitics is crucial.
Ethiopian diplomats are expected to exert more efforts in the dynamic geopolitics of the globe with a view to excel the diplomatic capabilities of the country, he underlined.
He emphasized that diplomats need to exert maximum efforts to defend Ethiopia’s interest in various stages.
Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, briefed the media on the retreat’s main goals.
According to Ambassador Birtukan, the ambassadors will reflect on the challenges of 2022 and the solutions given to them, besides laying out the core issues of engagement in the upcoming year.
She also mentioned the visits last week to over 10 institutions in Addis Ababa and Bishoftu that were designed to show the fruits of the reform process and reveal what is expected of the ambassadors in augmenting the capacity of some of the institutions.
The diplomats and heads of missions will also discuss on major national, regional and international issues, Birtukan said.
According to the state minister, the ambassadors will also visit some tourist destinations, industry zones and other places.
The opening program of the retreat, which will be held for two consecutive weeks, was attended by State Ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, Heads and Deputy Heads of Missions, Directorate Generals, and leadership of institutions affiliated with the Ministry.
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