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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Aug 12 2010 - 09:45:52 EDT
Ethiopian Leader says 'Rough Stretch' in Ties with US Over
Listen: Heinlein report
MP3
Addis Ababa 12 August 2010
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says bilateral ties with the United
States are on the mend after months of tensions. Mr. Meles promised a
wholesale government reshuffle due in October will include a restructuring
of Ethiopia's diplomatic missions.
The Ethiopian leader told reporters Wednesday that what he called 'a rough
stretch' in relations with Washington appears to be over.
"I think the rather difficult stretch we have had in the past six-seven
months is by and large behind us now," he said. "There are issues on which
the officials in the United States feel strongly and differently, and there
are issues on which we feel strongly and differently from those of the
United States. We will agree to disagree on those we do not agree on, and
we agree to work together on issues of common interest."
Bilateral ties reached a low ebb last May, around the time of Ethiopia's
parliamentary elections. No U.S. observer groups were present, and American
embassy personnel were barred from visiting voting stations or traveling
outside Addis Ababa on election day.
The White House responded with a strong statement. It said the elections had
fallen short of international commitments, and criticized the Ethiopian
government for failing to create an environment conducive to free and fair
elections.
The relationship appeared to improve after a visit to Addis Ababa last month
by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson.
Prime Minister Meles Wednesday defended his decision not to appoint an
ambassador to Washington. The post has been vacant since last year when the
previous envoy was called home.
Mr. Meles said a new ambassador would be named soon during a wholesale
government reorganization.
"We are going to establish a new government in October and there is going to
be a comprehensive reshuffle of individuals and so we felt it didn't make
sense to appoint full time ambassadors a few months before a complete
reorganization of the government," he said.
Mr. Meles said the reshuffle would include closing some foreign diplomatic
missions and opening others, reflecting Ethiopia's shifting alliances. He
said the embassy in Stockholm would be the first to close.
"There is no development cooperation program of any substance between us and
Sweden," he said. "There is no major trading relationship between us and
Sweden, and no significant investment coming from Sweden to Ethiopia. At the
same time we don't have an embassy in Brazil. Brazil is a huge emerging
country, and so we are now reassessing our diplomatic presence globally and
the first to go was Sweden because it was not worthwhile to have an embassy
there."
Mr. Meles also said Ethiopia's latest five-year economic plan envisions an
end to the country's dependence on food aid. The plan unveiled last week
predicts economic growth of between 11 and 14 percent a year.
"Our hope and expectation is that over the next five years we'll produce
enough not only to feed ourselves but to be able to export," he said.
Ethiopia remains one of the world's poorest countries, and one of the
largest foreign aid recipients. One in 10 Ethiopians receives emergency food
aid.
Mr. Meles's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front was easily
returned to power in the May elections, winning all but two of the 547 seats
in parliament.
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