EU Visa Restriction Imposed on Ethiopian Citizens Unfair: FM Spokesperson 

Addis Ababa, May 9/2024(ENA) Spokesperson of Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry said visa restriction imposed by the European Union Council on Ethiopian citizens is unfair. 

The Spokesperson gave press conference on the main diplomatic activities over the past week and other related issues today.

In his briefing, he explained the decision of the European Union Council on visa restrictions for Ethiopians, and the joint statement issued by the a few embassies in Addis Ababa.

He said “a few Embassies in Addis Ababa made a joint statement last week on the occasion of World Press Day that strayed from standard diplomatic protocol.”

The extraordinary growth of both new and established digital media outlets is evidence of Ethiopian government's commitment to upholding press freedom, he elaborated.

The spokesperson underlined that Ethiopia welcomes constructive engagement with parties but resorting to paternalistic joint statement is unhelpful for the bilateral relations and it is discordant with acceptable diplomatic practice.

Moreover, he elaborated that Ethiopia has informed the European Union Council about the visa restriction decision regarding Ethiopians stating that the decision is unfair.

The council decided that people from Ethiopia will have to wait 45 days instead of 15 days for their EU visa to be processed. 

The restriction aims at deporting asylum seekers residing in European countries without the proper scrutiny, the spokesperson revealed. 

Ethiopia noted the inappropriateness the visa restriction issued by the council, he said stating that Ethiopia was working with the Union by establishing a national committee to scrutinize the situation of citizens who are returning to the country after their cases have been investigated. 

He expressed Ethiopia’s readiness to discuss the matter and find solutions based on international principles. Ethiopia also demands the EU to reverse the restriction, the Spokesperson added.  

The briefing also mentioned the participation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and his delegation in the International Development Association conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The Ethiopian delegation delivered a significant message during the conference, he added.

In reference to the conversation between the delegations headed by Alexandra Hill Tinoco, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, Nebiyu reaffirmed El Salvador's intentions to establish an Embassy in Addis Ababa. 

The Spokesperson saw this as evidence that Addis Ababa is becoming a more important diplomatic hub.

Speaking about the meeting between the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Internal Displacement Solutions, Robert Piper, and Ambassador Mesganu Arga, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Spokesperson brought up Piper's admiration for the Ethiopian government's capacity to relocate a large number of internally displaced people to their communities. 

The necessity of Ethiopia and the UN's cooperation was also underlined in the conversation between the two sides.

The spokesperson concluded by discussing the key topics discussed at the meeting between Mesganu and Ambassador Hussain Awad, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Sudan. 

Ambassador Hussain expressed his belief that Ethiopia would continue to keep up its significant contribution to the overall peace process in Sudan.