Day: May 10, 2023

Addis Ababa city has enormous potential to further expand its current status as the largest diplomatic hub in the world, panelists underscored.

A panel discussion organized by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) jointly with the Ethiopian Diaspora Service and Ovid Investment Group was held on Tuesday under the theme: “Addis Ababa is in A New Diplomatic Height.”

Considering Addis Ababa city as the third largest diplomatic hub in the world, after New York and Geneva, the panel discussion was aimed at strengthening its role as the seat of diplomatic missions and international organizations.

Mohammed Idris, Director General of Ethiopian Diaspora Service said that the city has a lot of historical, economical and cultural advantages to remain center of diplomacy.

Since cities drive the world’s largest economy and they are taking the biggest role in diplomacy these days, the trend in the world shows a great desire to grow into urbanization, he pointed out.

For instance, by 2050, some 70 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities.

While over 760 million Africans will live in cities by 2030, according to the director general.

Addis Ababa is ranked among the top 20 countries with embassies of various nations around the world and the seat of 28 agencies of the United Nations (UN)

This makes Addis Ababa one of the largest cities in the world by hosting significant numbers of UN agencies, the director-general underlined.

Therefore, those are comparative advantages for Addis Ababa to remain the hub of diplomacy and attract more global and continental agencies in opening up their office, Mohammed said.

Moreover, Addis Ababa city has culture, hospitality, historical advantages and a role at the global venue in establishing international institutions including the UN, he said.

“Our culture, hospitality, independence, and our role in establishing continental and international institutions, and the large development projects currently being carried out in Addis Ababa… They enable the city to become the world’s leading diplomatic destination.”

He also appreciated the current mega development projects being carried out in Addis Ababa to make it granary and beautiful to help the capital continue as the world’s leading diplomatic destination.

However, the director-general said as the modern diplomacy is currently experiencing fundamental changes at an unprecedented rate Addis Ababa needs to exploit its potential to be attractive for non-state actors and others.

“In particular, Addis Ababa should work to become the seat of non-state actors. Today, these actors are scrutinizing the narrative of the media and international diplomacy. They are multibillionaires like Coca-Cola and many others. These giant companies can fundamentally change the image of the city (Addis Ababa) if they open their office here. Therefore, the city has to work hard to accomplish these.”

These efforts will change the political and historical capitals of Addis Ababa into economic, social and cultural capitals demonstrating the fact that the city is an international seat, he underlined.

Dr. Zegye Chernet , an architect and lecturer at Addis Ababa University said on his part that Addis Ababa city is one of the centers of hyper-urbanization which is serving as a political, diplomacy and cultural hub.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) urged media of member states to expand regional coverage to tell their own stories in the region and achieve common goals and objectives.

During IGAD Member Sates National Public Media Meeting in Djibouti today, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu urged the national public media to expand their coverage to tell our own stories and achieve the common goals and objectives.

He presented different media, including ENA, for the excellent services they have provided.

“I encourage you to widen your coverage beyond the national boundaries and go regional to tell our stories to each other and to the rest of the world,” Workneh said, adding that it is in this respect that IGAD brought them together to the meeting.

He further encouraged them to keep on reporting about the challenges the IGAD region is confronting to in such a way that the people are made aware of these challenges for the purpose of addressing them.

“You are the shapers of opinions, the influencers towards one direction or another, the makers of kings and queens,” he noted, reminding that “modern history has registered numerous instances where media had a direct and obvious effect on the fate of communities, peoples and countries.”

On the occasion, the executive secretary appreciated RTD, ENA, EBC, SSBC, KBC, UBC, SUNA- for the excellent services they provided for his State of the Region Addresses in 2021 and 2022.

Aligning with the call from IGAD, the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) is aiming to expand its offices into neighboring countries such as Djibouti and Kenya, it was learned.

Established in 1942, ENA dispatches multimedia news content in 6 languages and works in partnership with different international news outlets such as Xinhua, Anadolu, and Sputnik.

ENA has also completed a new state-of-the-art media complex with a view to launching broadcasting services in the coming few months.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The first meeting of the network of the National TB Program (NTPs) in Southern and Eastern Africa with the aim to strengthen the coordination and harmonization of TB control approach is underway in Addis Ababa.

Opening the 3-day meeting today, Senior Advisor at the ministry of health, Dr. Abera Bekele said on behalf of the State Minister Dr. Dereje Duguma that the meeting aims to cement the establishment of the new regional TB network.

Accordingly, the new network is targeted to strengthen the coordination and harmonization of TB control approaches across southern and Eastern Africa nations.

Stating that this network will help to facilitate greater communication and cooperation of national TB programs in the region, he said it will also help yield opportunities for training and capacity building and encourage peer support and joint learning.

On behalf of the ministry of health, the senior Advisor stressed “I would like to assure you that Ethiopia will support the network and will look forward to a strengthened network that will address critical TB issues in Eastern and southern Africa.”

He called upon academic and research institutions and other organizations such as WHO-AFRO and African CDC among others to join hands in realizing the mission of the network.

WHO Deputy Representative to Ethiopia Dr. Nonhlanhla Rose-Mary Dlamini noted that the network will play an essential role in coordination and harmonization TB control approach with particular focus on promoting the implementation and operational research and the efficient use of research outcomes to strengthen TB control effort in the countries.

Today, she added the national TB program representatives from 22 Southern and Eastern African countries are gathered with the objective to facilitate greater communication and cooperation between NTPs and partners, promote harmonization of strategies and best practices for TB control for member states.

The Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) Director-General Professor Afework Kassu said for his part that the network will be critically important to address the regional TB issues by enhancing laboratory capacities, building human resources, contributing on issues of common interest among others.

According to the 2022 WHO Global TB report, there were an estimated 10.6 million TB cases and 1.6 million deaths in the world.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu encouraged the media of IGAD region to widen coverage beyond national boundaries and go regional to tell stories to each other and to the rest of the world.

While presenting talking points at the IGAD Member States National Public Media Meeting, Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary stated the regional media outlets must have been reporting on the situation in Sudan and how preoccupied we are at IGAD about it.

All the efforts by our Heads of State and Government and our partners in securing peace and stability in Sudan and other parts of our region; notably the home-grown achievements have advanced peace and harmony too, the Executive Secretary noted.

He also encouraged media outlets in the region to keep on reporting about the challenges being confronted in such a way that the people are made aware of about the purpose of addressing the challenges.

One of the main outcomes of this meeting is the revival of the IGAD Member States National Public Media Digital Platform that was established in 2017, Workeneh said, adding that the signing of the MoU will contribute to formalizing ties between your media outlets.

By availing news material to each other, you will be speaking the voice of the region, he said, adding: “And just as a concrete example, I hope that Radio TV, La Nation newspaper covering this meeting… will agree to availing what they have in their cameras to the media outlets in this room; in such a way ENA, UBC, SSBC, SNTV …feature our meeting as a news item tomorrow in their home countries.”

In essence, the MoU and the digital platform are means for the IGAD story to be told, and for the national media to link up with counterparts to go regional for multilateral matters involving IGAD member countries.

The IGAD Secretariat is ready to work with you for the provision of a digital platform to enable this endeavour, Workneh added.

He also revealed that IGAD envisages strong, lasting and quality cooperation with the media in region and will soon accredit designated media personnel to IGAD.

He commended the media outlets for their commitment to the promotion of peace, security, good governance, and development in the region.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Mesganu Arga meets Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Karachi today.

During their discussion, Ambassador Mesganu mentioned the ongoing progress of the two countries’ diplomatic and economic relations since Ethiopia opened its embassy in Islamabad a year ago.

The State Minister reaffirmed the Ethiopian Government’s commitment to strengthen and diversify the two countries’ bilateral relations.

Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, expressed his appreciation for Ethiopian Airlines’ new direct flight to Karachi, which stands as a symbol of growing friendly ties between the two countries.

He also underlined his country’s interest in cooperating with Ethiopia on mutual regional and global issues.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials also exchanged views on various bilateral issues to further strengthen historical relations between Ethiopia and Pakistan.

A high-level Ethiopian Government business delegation has taken part in the Ethiopia-Pakistan business summit, which was held yesterday in Karachi.

The delegation traveled today to Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, for business and diplomatic activities.

Ethiopian Airlines has launched direct flight on Monday between Addis Ababa and Karachi.

The resumption of the flights will connect Ethiopia with South East Asia and also highlights the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency