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Ethiopian Embassy News A Monthly Newsletter of the Ethiopian Embassy, Washington D.C.

Year: 2 Issue 01, July 2015

Ambassador Girma Birru's Interview

about President Obama's Visit to Ethiopia

Amb. Girma Birru, Special Envoy, Ambassador Extra-

ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the US,

Mexico and Jamaica has held an exclusive interview

with the Ethiopian Media Network (EMN) on President

Obama's visit to Ethiopia and other current issues.

"The visit is historic for both Ethiopia and the US. For

the first time ever in both countries diplomatic ties that

span over a century a US sitting President will visit

Ethiopia. This is a result of the growing all-round and

cordial diplomatic relations of Ethiopia and the United

States", the Ambassador said.

Contents

Ambassador Girma Birru's Interview about

President Obama's Visit to Ethiopia ............. 1

President Obama's Initiative for Climate-

Resilient Developing Nations .......................... 2

Ethiopian Airlines Commences Direct Flights

to Los Angeles via Dublin ................................ 3

The 24th Anniversary of "Ginbot 20"

Colorfully Celebrated in Minnesota ............. 4

Farewell Ceremony for Recalled Diplomats

Held at Embassy of Ethiopia .......................... 6

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President Obama's Ethiopian visit is aimed at bilateral

issues of accelerating economic growth, strengthening

democratic institutions, and improve security, the

Ambassador added.

In reference to the fringe extremist elements,

Ambassador Girma said, " it is saddening to note that

some who have been consistently opposing whatever

Ethiopia undertakes to improve the wrenched

livelihood of the Ethiopian people still oppose the

President's visit to Ethiopia. Instead of blindly out of

sheer hatred oppose the visit, it would have been wise

if they could come up with ideas that would yield to

the engagement of both sides.

Obama’s historic visit will start a new era of

partnership in investment and trade between the two

nations, he underscored.

For the entire interview, visit the Embassy's YouTube

Channel by using the link provided below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZSmJYvRVk8

Amb. Girma Birru participated in the

launching event of President Obama's

Initiative for Climate-Resilient Developing

Nations

On June 9, 2015, Ambassador Girma Birru, Ambassador

of Ethiopia to the United States, participated in the

launching event of President Obama's Initiative to

establish Public-Private Partnership to empower Climate-

Resilient Developing Nations . The launching event was

held at the U.S. Institute of Peace and was attended by

high level U.S. Government officials from the White

House, USAID, other U.S. Governmental agencies and

private Sector representatives as well as representatives

of the Government of the United Kingdom. The event

was the fulfillment of President Obama's major

commitment announced at the UN Climate Summit in

New York last September to launch an international

public-private partnership to empower developing

nations to boost their own climate resilience. The

partnership, known as the Climate Services for Resilient

Development will provide needed climate services such

as, data, information, tools and training to developing

countries that are working to strengthen their national

resilience to the impacts of climate change.

It was announced at the launching event that Ethiopia

will be one of the three initial focus countries selected to

receive tailored and targeted climate services.

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Ambassador Girma Birru, in his address at the

launching conference, thanked the U.S. and the U.K.

Government as well all of the founding partners of the

public-private partnership for selecting Ethiopia to be

one of the initial focus countries and assured the

conference that Ethiopia will do its best not only in

carrying out programs to strengthen its national

resiliency, but will also share its experiences with

other countries in the region.

Ethiopians to go to Ethiopia and take part in Ethiopia's

various investment opportunities, adding that the flight

helps to boost Ethiopia's trade ties with Africa and

North America.

CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde Gebremariam said on

the occasion the launching of the flight would improve

the investment, trade and tourism relations of Ethiopia,

Ireland and USA. He stated that as Ethiopia is the seat of

the African Union, the airline is striving to connect the

continent with different parts of the world.

The success of Ethiopian Airlines is truly amazing. For

the airline to achieve such milestone despite the hard

and difficult times most Airlines are facing is indeed an

amazing achievement. According to CEO Tewolde there

is yet more to come in full swing with the 2025 strategic

plan.

Ethiopian Airlines Commences Direct

Flights to Los Angeles via Dublin

On the inauguration ceremony held at the Los Angeles

International Airport / LAX /, Ambassador Girma

Birru, Special Envoy and Ambassador Extra-Ordinary

and Plenipotentiary to the Us, Mexico and Jamaica

expressed his felicitation for the start of the flight

which he said will widen and strengthen the already

mature and cordial relations between Ethiopia and the

US.

He recalled that Ethiopian has recently purchased 6

additional B-787 aircrafts maintaining its leadership

with the largest Dream-liner fleet in Africa. And to-day

it has become the first African Air-line to fly to Los

Angeles, launching the only direct service connecting

Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the United

States. Amb. Girma underlined that the newly created

propitious condition will serve as an additional tool

that will encourage American investors and Diaspora

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The inaugural flight was colorfully celebrated with

Irish dancers and Ethiopian musicians. When the

huge modern Boeing 787 pulled to gate 134 there

was no one left sitting or standing in the middle of

the isle, everyone was glued and squeezed to the

huge glass window to snap a photo and witness the

first flight.

CEO Tewolde told invited guests that the LA route

will serve the huge Irish as well as African

community in the greater Los Angeles area. He hopes

the route will be successful in connecting the huge

African community to their mother continent.

Judging from the booking already for the return

flight of June 20, 2015 it surely will be a very

successful flight. The flight came with over 200

passengers and will fly back with more than 200

passengers.

Flight 504 will fly via Dublin, Ireland. The Irish

government is keenly aware of its potential impact to

Ireland tourism industry since Los Angeles is home

to the who is who of Hollywood stars and Ethiopia's

unique culture.

While these flights make Los Angles the airline's

second destination in the United States next to

Washington DC, Dublin is its first route in Ireland.

The new route raises the airline’s destinations in the

Americas to four and those of Europe to 11 and

Ethiopian worldwide destinations to 87.

Source: Aigaforum (www.aigaforum.com)

Ethiopian Diaspora Members in Minnesota

Colorfully Celebrate the 24th Anniversary

of "Ginbot 20"

Members of the Ethiopian Diaspora domiciling in

Minnesota state colorfully celebrated the 24th

anniversary of Victory Day on June 14, 2015.

Ambassador Girma Birru, Special Envoy, Ambassador

Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the US,

Mexico and Jamaica addressed hundreds of a packed

audience of Ethiopians. The Ambassador apprised the

participants of the event on the fruits of the Victory Day.

In this regard, Ambassador Girma cited democracy,

development and peace as the kernel of the fruits of the

Victory Day.

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Referring to development, he underscored that the

major economic and social activities undertaken by the

government and results achieved to improve the lives of

Ethiopian people have proven tremendously positive by

all standards and have been approved by notable

institutions like the World Bank and the IMF and the

international media.

He pointed out that the GTP which is on the finishing

line of the fifth year of its Five-year plan period has

shown a promising end to bring about structural

transformation to address the fundamental

development challenges of the country. Speaking on the

ongoing development activities, he described the

government’s efforts in expanding infrastructure

throughout the country with special emphasis on the

construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam which will

mainly carry the lion's share of achieving the plan to

generate 10 thousand Megawatts of electricity.

To realize this objective, the Ambassador noted that

the government is working with resolve and revealed

that billions of Birr worth of bond has already been

purchased by the society which amply demonstrates

that the Ethiopian people are determined to eventuate

this huge project without the injection of an iota of

fund from any external source.

Picture from the event

The 24th anniversary of this year's victory day has

been emblazoned by the 5th national and regional

elections which was free, fair and peaceful with more

than 34 million voters casted their votes based on the

information they gathered during the free media

debate, he added.

In a similar development the Ambassador has held

meetings with Ethiopian Somali community members

and Ethiopian Diaspora investors wherein he

explained the conducive atmosphere existing in

Ethiopia and urged them to with stand any challenges

they might encounter with patience and hard work.

Welcoming Amb. Girma Birru at Minneapolis Airport

Participants of the event (partial)

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Farewell Ceremony for Recalled Diplomats

Held at Embassy of Ethiopia

Spring is a season when people start enjoying the view

of clear, blue skies and the comfort of the sunny and

warm weather, bidding farewell to the severely cold,

wet and snowy weather. Talking about Spring, it is

perhaps noteworthy to relate to an event that took

place at the auditorium of the Chancery of the

Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. – the farewell

get-together to see off four Diplomats who were

recalled back home after completing their assignment

in the US. The farewell event was organized by the staff

and administration of the Embassy.

Ambassador Girma Birru praised the departing four

diplomats for their hard work in enhancing the

friendship between the two sisterly countries, Ethiopia

and the US. The four departing staff members

passionately spoke of the close working and social

relations they have been leaving behind wishing the

social cohesion to remain intact.

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Email: ethiopia@ethiopianembassy.org

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