FM Demeke Holds Talks with Canada’s Intl Development Minister Sajjan
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen has held talks with Canada’s International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan today.
“Among other things, the two sides discussed ways of further enhancing development cooperation between Ethiopia and Canada,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
Minister Sajjan arrived in the capital on Sunday along with Canadian MP Arielle Kayabaga as part of his three-nation Africa tour involving Chad and Egypt.
The visit, according to the minister, was aimed at engaging with various African officials “on shared priorities” such as food and nutrition security, sustainable economies, and climate action.
In Addis Ababa, Demeke told Sajjan that the Government of Ethiopia is implementing various development initiatives to foster investment and trade policies as well as forgy strategic partnerships conducive to regional economic integration in the horn of Africa.
The Government’s Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda and Digital Ethiopia 2025 are the pillars of Ethiopia’s transformative economic policy while capitalizing on youth job creation and women’s empowerment, he mentioned.
The recent launching of the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) and the continuous Green Legacy Initiative are also a demonstration of Ethiopia’s commitment to building a climate-change resilient nation, Demeke said.
In this regard, he said international partners like Canada need to support Ethiopia’s development efforts and the ongoing peace consolidation efforts including transitional justice, national dialogue and DDR processes.
Minister Sajjan, for his part, assured Demeke of Canadian support not only in the consolidation of peace but also in holistic development undertakings, according to MoFA’s statement.
The minister said Canada is particularly keen on backing initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural productivity on top of improving food security.
He added, improvements in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia should be seen not only as food security efforts but also as economic opportunities that businesses from Canada could take part in, read MoFA’s statement.
