Envoy requests India to continue extending assistance to Ethiopia, Africa
Addis Ababa, May 26, 2020 (FBC) – Ethiopian envoy has requested the government of India to continue extending multifaceted assistance to Ethiopia and for the continent of Africa.
Ethiopian Ambassador to India, Tizita Mulugeta, made the request during webinar meeting held in New Delhi yesterday under the theme “Mapping Next Steps in India-Africa Partnership: Pandemic & Beyond” to mark the Africa Day.
The meeting was attended by ambassadors and high commissioners of the regional countries, India CII, Exim Bank of India and eminent Indian and African diplomats and experts.
Ambassador Tizita briefed the participants on how the Ethiopian government took a variety of measures to contain the spread of the virus by establishing a high level of national COVID-19 preparation and response task force.
She further told them about the wide range of economic stimulus package approved by the government to protect the most vulnerable section of the society and sectors that have been adversely affected by Covid-19 pandemic.
She also further explained how Ethiopian government played a decisive role on behalf of Africa by requesting the G20 countries to grant debt relief and provision of COVID -19 emergency financing packages to help poor countries cope with the health and economic impact of COVID-19 across the continent.
The ambassador recalled the teleconference meeting held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed on 6th May 2020 and thanked the Indian government for providing medical equipment supplies to Ethiopia.
Ambassador Tizita requested the government of India to continue extending multifaceted assistance to Ethiopia and for the continent of Africa.
She also underscored Africa’s unyielding commitment to strengthen relations with India citing the success of the three previously held India-Africa Forum Summits and stressed that the two nations should keep up cooperating in the fight against the common enemy as the situation requires Global action, solidarity, and international cooperation are more than ever necessary to address this pandemic.
She also requested the Exim Bank of India to grant debt relief and financial loan in efforts to mitigate the pandemic and offered the available opportunities for Indian companies to participate in providing COVID-19 protection equipment and manufacturing essential medical supplies and extend their investment beyond COVID 19 in the areas of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and information technology.