November 24, 2024
Ethiopia Asks the EU to Reconsider What It Calls “Punitive Action”
Borkena
Toronto – Earlier this week, Ethiopia and European Union working groups held a discussion in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Migration was the main topic, according to a disclosure from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. There does not seem to be any disclosure from the European Union side regarding the working group discussion.
This discussion was the fourth of its kind. Mesganu Arega, State Minister for the Ministry, claimed that the Ethiopian government is “making efforts to tackle the root causes of migration,” including by focusing on overcoming “human trafficking.”
Ethiopia has been facing unprecedented internal displacement over the past six months due to ethnic violence and other forms of security crises. Natural disasters and economic hardships have also reportedly contributed to the rise in migration rates. This month, the Tigray Region Interim Administration disclosed that tens of thousands of youth in the region have gone missing, which is linked to migration following the devastating war, said to have claimed about one million lives across the Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions.
The state minister is said to have highlighted migration as a “sensitive political issue for Ethiopia, a country that serves as a source, transit, and destination for migrants.”
The issue is also a topic in Ethiopia’s bilateral engagements.
“Ethiopia’s active involvement in bilateral and multilateral initiatives to manage migration and its collaborative efforts with neighboring countries and international partners to combat the challenges associated with migration,” he is cited as saying.
The state minister also “urged the EU to reconsider its approach of imposing punitive measures.” He has asked the EU to lift the visa restrictions. It is to be recalled that the EU introduced visa restrictions – described as “temporary” – in April of this year.
The New EU Ambassador
Earlier this month, the European Union Ambassador-Designate, Sofie Emmesberger, had a discussion with Gedion Timothewos, the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ethiopia’s macroeconomic reform and the work of the national dialogue commission were among the issues discussed at that time. Ethiopia’s currency has depreciated by more than 100 percent since the government introduced the reform measures – including the introduction of a market-based forex regime – in July of this year.
Ambassador-Designate Sofie Emmesberger views the economic reform as an opportunity for well over 180 companies from the European Union that are operating in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and the EU are also cooperating in areas of innovation, including e-governance and business registration, according to information from the European Union.
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