Wind of Hope Blown to World, UN Secretary-General Guterres

New York September 25/2018 The wind of hope and peace is blown to the world as Ethiopia and Eritrea, and soon after Eritrea and Djibouti closed down the chapter of wars and opened the new era of hope, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. In his opening remark of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Secretary-General appreciated the new era of hope, optimism and cooperation between and among IGAD member states. He pointed out that the world should cooperate in order to achieve the sustainable development goals and agendas set for the well-being of humanity. Guterres further elaborated that the world should focus on clean energy, gender issues, and digital technology, eradicate lethal weapons, and develop trust between nations to alleviate poverty and ensure sustainable peace and stability. He also appreciated the IGAD mediated revitalized peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa between the warring parties of South Sudan to end civil war. Earlier, Foreign Minister Workeneh Gebeyehu and UN Secretary-General António Guterres had discussion on the sideline of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. During the discussion, Workeneh said a new era of peace has come to the Horn of Africa following the peace deal between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the normalization of relations between Eritrea and Djibouti. Stating that Ethiopia has always been working to ensure peace and security in the region, the minister appreciated the UN for its support in consolidating the effort. “We are at a moment where efforts are undertaken to compensate for the time lost,” he noted. Appreciating the rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Secretary-General Guterres said the fresh air of peace will surely accelerate the efforts to stabilize Horn of Africa. Confirming UN’s strengthened support to the region, he said the peace in the region is of paramount importance to global stability. Commending the ongoing political reforms in Ethiopia, Guterres hailed the leadership commitment in taking the initiations.