HR6600 contradicts longstanding relationship between Ethiopia, U.S.

Addis Ababa, March 10, 2022 (FBC) – Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dina Mufti briefed the media on current affairs including political and economic diplomacy issues.

Ambassador Dina recalled that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen has recently briefed Charge de Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Tracy Ann Davidson on various issues including the national dialogue, facilitation of access to humanitarian operation.

According to the Spokesperson, the Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister expressed Ethiopia’s need to bolster its ties with Ethiopia.

“Demeke said measures, such as the exclusion of Ethiopia from AGOA eligibility and the proposed Draft Bill HR6600 do not commensurate with the longstanding relationship between the two countries,” Dina stated.

Ambassador Tracy Ann Davidson, for her part, said the U.S also wants to further strengthen its ties with Ethiopia, the Spokesperson said.

Ambassador Dina also commented on the current situation between Russia and Ukraine. “As Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement over the week, we all are interdependent wherever we live and a problem that occurs at one corner of the world affects the other corner, particularly vulnerable people. Ethiopia is not an island, so the Russia-Ukraine situation, just like the COVID-19 Pandemic, concerns us since the issue has the potential to cause political and economic upheavals,”

“Ethiopia believes that Russia, Ukraine and all concerned parties would get peaceful alternatives to the current status quo. We believe that “the multilateral institutions and international norms we have built collectively need not be a site of isolation but a mechanism for problem solving.” He added.

“Last week the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Ethiopia did not cast its vote and the decision is consistent with our nonalignment policy,” he underscored.

Furthermore, the Spokesperson recalled that Ethiopia’s delegation and officials of Saudi Arabia discussed on easing situations to Ethiopians residing in the country and repatriating those suffering in various detention centers.

According to the repatriation plan tabled by the national committee, preparations have been made to repatriate more than 100 thousand Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia in the upcoming weeks.

About 750,000 Ethiopians are now living in Saudi Arabia of whom 450,000 are suspected to reside in the country without proper legal documents.

The National Committee is composed of 16 government institutions, including the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, Women and Social Affairs Ministry, Labor and Skills Ministry and Health Ministry, among others.

The Spokesperson said preparations have been finalized to repatriate the citizens to Ethiopia.