Deputy PM & FM Briefs EU Envoy & Finnish Foreign Minister on Rehabilitation of Tigray

Addis Ababa February 10/2021 (ENA) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefed EU Envoy and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Pekka Haavisto on the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in Tigray region today.

Demeke said during the occasion that the government is working tirelessly to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance and putting back various infrastructure destroyed by the TPLF back to service in collaboration with the interim administration in the region and international organizations.

He also pointed out that access to humanitarian actors who desire to provide services for the needy has been granted and 26 humanitarian agencies are now on the ground working with local authorities to reach out the beneficiaries.

Stressing the need for further strengthen the close partnership with EU, the deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister expressed the concerns of the government with regard to the statements made by EU Commission, particularly the decision to postpone the budget sector support and indicated that the action is counterproductive to the collective efforts underway to timely and effectively address the humanitarian situation and sustain the development gains achieved since the reform has begun.

Demeke also called on the EU to understand the situation, and to continue playing a constructive role to help Ethiopia overcome its challenges as a strategic partner.

Speaking on the border situation with Sudan, he recounted the events that took place since 6 November 2020 and explained to EU Envoy and Minister of Foreign Affairs Haavisto  Ethiopia’s position regarding the negotiations of GERD.matter, particularly the unflinching stance of respecting the pre-November 6 status quo and allowing the established mechanisms to continue to discharge their duties.

He further reiterated the commitment of the Government of Ethiopia  to resolve the matter amicably and peacefully.

According to Ministry of  Foreign Affairs, Water, Irrigation and Energy Minister Sileshi Bekele who attended the meeting explained Haavsi about the negotiations of the GERD.

The minister expressed Ethiopia's readiness to finalize the negotiations and stressed the need to urge the other parties to do the same within the framework of the African Union through the spirit of providing African solutions to African problems.

EU Envoy and Minister of Foreign Affairs Haavisto said on his part that the European Union understands the measures that the Ethiopian Government is taking to address the humanitarian situation and emphasized the need to scale up access and provisions of humanitarian assistance to the region.

He also urged the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to step up its efforts in investigating human rights cases and expressed the importance of maintaining the strategic partnership between Ethiopia and the EU on various fields of cooperation.