Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, received a delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Marina Sereniat in his office.
Demeke thanked the government of Italy for its uninterrupted development cooperation with Ethiopia and appreciated the outstanding construction works of “We build” (former SaliniImpregilo) in Ethiopia, a company involved in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam too.
Speaking about the current situation in Ethiopia, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister described all of the positive measures that the government of Ethiopia has been undertaking to peacefully end the conflict in northern Ethiopia and establish long-lasting peace in the country.
The decision of the federal government to withhold its troops from entering the Tigray state, the release of high-profile political
figures from prison, and the determination to establish the National Dialogue Commission would pave bright avenue for national consensus.
He stressed Ethiopia’s commitment to peace, mentioning the federal government’s commitment to act according to the recommendations of the joint investigation of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Human Rights Office into alleged crimes committed in Tigray.
He said the government of Ethiopia wants the UN and the Ethiopian human rights institutions to conduct similar investigations into the atrocities committed by the terrorist TPLF in the Amhara and Afar states. Despite all the encouraging steps taken by the federal government, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said the TPLF failed to reciprocate and continued its provocative acts in Afar.
He noted the International community, including Italy, should not be bought into the victimhood narratives of the TPLF that often use deception to conceal its anti-peace character and huge crimes.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, on her part thanked the government for addressing the humanitarian and human rights concerns of Italy.
She said her government appreciates all the encouraging efforts of the government of Ethiopia to build peace in the country.
Marina Sereni further said that Italy wants to keep on expanding its development partnership and diplomatic relationships with Ethiopia—an anchor state in the region—of course.
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
