The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called this week for “sincere discussions” with representatives of the US government following heated exchanges over a speech made by Ambassador Ervin Massinga earlier this month.
During a weekly press briefing, Ministry Spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla (Amb.) provided a second rebuttal to Massinga’s policy speech. The spokesperson cited a historic and strong relationship between Addis Ababa and Washington before criticizing Massinga for “spontaneous advice on how best to run the country’s affairs.”
The US Ambassador’s policy speech delivered on May 15, 2024, drew fierce blowback from the Ministry, which had issued a statement calling the speech “ill-advised” and accusing him of making “uninformed assertions.”
Massinga’s speech touched on human rights issues and conflict in the country. He called for an end to violence in Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray, and called on opposition groups to resolve their differences through negotiations with the government.
This week, Nebiyu had more to say about the fallout from the speech.
– Advertisement –
“As sovereign nations and equal partners, the relationship between the two countries must be derived from strategic affairs through a structured manner and not just incidental framing,” said the spokesperson.
He did, however, say the long-standing diplomatic relations with Washington will not be affected.
Ambassador Massinga and USAID Deputy Mission Director Tim Stein, meanwhile, held a press roundtable on May 22 to discuss bilateral relations between Ethiopia and the United States.
During a question and answer session with journalists, the ambassador mentioned his appreciation for the complexity and enormity of the issues in Ethiopia, and described his engagements with Ethiopian officials in diplomatic settings. Massinga told journalists he has been in regular contact with Ethiopian government officials.
Nebiyu disclosed the Ministry has been engaging with the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa to provide updates on the ongoing corridor development project.
“We don’t believe there is resistance from the diplomatic community,” said Nebiyu, “because they believe Addis is also their city and consider it a diplomatic hub for the African Union headquarters, [UN] Economic Commission for Africa, and 134 embassies. I haven’t seen any issues with an embassy saying the project is something that should be resisted.”
He disclosed the Ministry has formed a unit to deal with embassies whenever an explanation or assistance is called for by the diplomatic community. The unit is also responsible for clearing up any misconceptions that may arise during the project’s execution, according to Nebiyu.
No embassy or diplomatic premises have been impacted by the corridor project as of yet, but rumors persist that officials are looking to reach agreements for the demolition of roadside diplomatic properties that may be affected by the development project.
Thousands of the capital’s residents have already been displaced as property is appropriated for the initiative, which comprises routes from Piassa to CMC via Arat Kilo, Kebena, and Megenagna. The second part of the project extends from Piassa to Wello Sefer through Mexico, Kera, and Gotera.
.
.
.
#Ministry #Calls #dignified #Discourse #Discussion
Source link
