Deputy PM, UK Special Envoy Discuss Efforts to Bring Peace in Northern Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen held a discussion with Sarah Montgomery, UK’s Special Envoy for the Red Sea & Horn of Africa, on the ongoing efforts to bring lasting peace in northern Ethiopia.
Demeke’s meeting with Montgomery, who assumed the special envoy role four weeks ago, took place on Wednesday in Addis Ababa.
During the meeting, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) statement says, Demeke recalled the historic ties of the two countries and emphasized the importance of further solidifying ties between Ethiopia and the UK.
He also spoke extensively about the state of affairs in the northern region of Ethiopia and expressed the government’s commitment to the current AU-led peace process.
Montgomery, on her part, stated that because this is her first trip to the Horn of Africa, she is eager to learn how she can support the peace process, reads MoFA’s statement.
In a tweet later, the special envoy said her discussion with Deputy PM Demeke was productive.
“The UK supports recent progress towards peace & calls on all parties to engage in talks without preconditions,” she said. “We agreed on the importance of restoration of services & unhindered humanitarian access to Tigray.”
The conflict in northern Ethiopia has eased in recent months following a truce to allow humanitarian aid into Tigray.
