Ethiopia, a hospitable and stable Island, says EU Commissioner

(EBC, 13 January 2016) – Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom met with the European commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Chirstos Styliandes on Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium.

The two sides discussed a number of issues centering on humanitarian affairs and mitigating the El-Nino-induced drought and extending support to refugees.

In the discussions, Mr. Christos Styliandes described scores of areas that Ethiopia is doing well in regards to hosting refugees and executing humanitarian activities.

Taking note of the fact that Ethiopia is a peaceful country in a hostile region, Mr. Christos Styliandes stated, Ethiopia is a stable island in the region, one that is hospitable and home for refugees from various regional countries.

Raising the issue of the recent drought and its challenges, the EU humanitarian commissioner noted that the El-nino havoc indeed needed quick collaboration, adding that the EU was looking for updated assessment on the recent drought in a bid to enhance cooperation, in which case, he expressed EU’s utmost solidarity with Ethiopia.

The commissioner similarly noted Ethiopia’s role in peace negotiations over conflicts in South Sudan and Somalia, without which he said could have caused even more humanitarian crisis in the region.

Dr. Tedros in his side appreciated EU’s support in various frontiers across the region, which he said was vital not only in the amount but also in the quality and standard of the expertise.

He said the cooperation in the process of implementing GTPI was remarkable, which he said should be enhanced further since Ethiopia was heading to GTP II in a wider scale.

Stressing the issue of the recent drought in some parts of the country, and of the efforts of rehabilitation, Dr. Tedros noted that the gap between what had been pledged and what was required should be minimized.

Noting that Ethiopia is the number one refugee host in Africa, and that the number of refugees was increasing on every day basis, Dr. Tedros noted that the challenge related to such a crisis should be addressed by solving its root cause and fighting human traffickers among others.