Author: Web Desk

The Government of Norway has announced 25 million USD in funding to support Ethiopia’s ambitions, prolonging its decade-long forest partnership with the East African nation.

The Norwegian government announced the funding at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi to support Ethiopia’s undertakings to avert the impacts of climate change, according to Minister of Planning and Development.

It is noted that forest protection and restoration play a vital role in Ethiopia’s efforts to reduce emissions.

The Ethiopian government has pledged to ensure sustainable use or protection of all remaining forests in the country and to double the forest cover by 2030.

Through the Green Legacy initiative, Ethiopia has planted more than 25 billion seedlings in the first phase of the initiative since 2019. In June, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed disclosed that Ethiopia will have planted a total of 31 billion seedlings by the end of this year’s Green Legacy planting season.

Accordingly, Norway’s forthcoming support to Ethiopia will contribute to scaling up work towards the country’s comprehensive efforts on climate change through forestry.

“I recognize the progress that Ethiopia has made in the forest sector. Large areas of biodiversity-rich forest are now protected from unsustainable use, producing eco-system services that benefit local communities, the country and wider region,” said Climate and Environment Minister of Norway, Espen Barth Eide, on the occasion of the announcement.

It is learned that the new pledge is topping up Norway’s investment of more than 162 million USD to Ethiopia’s forest sector over the last 10 years.

It is also mentioned that the decade-long support has contributed to the protection of one million hectares of natural forests, which are now under sustainable management schemes.

It has also contributed to restoring one million hectares of degraded forests and the establishment of 75,000 hectares of high-value plantation forests.

Some 300,000 livelihoods have been created and enhanced as a result of the partnership, an official report from the Norwegian government indicated.

Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) was established in 2008 and is the government of Norway’s largest international effort to help combat climate change and preserve nature by protecting the world’s tropical forests.

To achieve this, Norway has entered into bilateral partnerships with several of the most important tropical forest countries in the world, across all three of the largest rainforest basins.

NICFI has invested more than 5 billion USD to protect forests since 2008.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

”Through our ‘Bounty of the Basket’ initiative launched last year, we have managed to increase honey productivity to around 98 thousand tons per year through modern methods,” Prime Minister Abiy twitted.

The premier further said our target for next year is, to double annual output considering the varied ecological and climatic conditions of the country with diverse flora and fauna that make honey production conducive.

Let’s build on our current efforts for better harvest, he added.

According to him, Ethiopia is one of ten largest producers of honey globally.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The First Ethio-Somalia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting was held today in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The session was preceded by the Senior Officials meeting, which took place from 5 to 6 September 2023, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen and Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Salah Ahmed Jama.

In his opening remarks, Demeke thanked Salah Ahmed Jama for the warm reception and hospitality extended to him and his delegation and further commended Salah Ahmed Jama for convening the 1st Session of the JMC.

Expressing the focus of the relations has been concentrated on political and security matters he said it is high time to explore more opportunities to expand areas of cooperation for the benefit of our brotherly peoples.

Demeke commended President Hassen Sheikh Mahmoud on the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, as a critical step towards ensuring sustainable peace and security in Somalia.

He also mentioned the fact that Ethiopia and Somalia share language, culture, people and values that will always be an eternal bond between our two countries and pointed out that “enhancing our people-to-people relations by exploring various ways is a natural extension of this historic tie.”

Demeke reiterated continued commitment of Ethiopian government to facilitate and promote all aspects of cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Salah Ahmed Jama on his part said, this JMC is a historic moment for the two countries that can benefit the two peoples.

“We look forward strengthen our longstanding relationship that is grounded by a principle of mutual respect and brotherly relationship,” he added.

Moreover, he expressed that this JMC serves as a crucial platform for formalizing of our historic relationship so that we enhance the ties for mutual benefit of the two countries.

Somalia will work together with Ethiopia to strengthen the longstanding cooperation, he elaborated.

Upon concluding the meeting, the dignitaries presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Trade cooperation and agreed minutes of the meeting.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Apart from discharging their professional responsibilities, the sacrifices being made by the members of the defense forces as soldiers is a price they are paying for the love of their motherland, scholars remarked.

Scholars from various disciplines described the sacrifices that are being made by the member of the defense forces to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia is the price they are paying not only to discharge their responsibilities but it is something rendered out of the love for their country.

Members of the defense and security forces who are paying sacrifices in flesh and blood have been honored on ‘The Day of Sacrifices’ which is marked today Pagumen 2.

A panel discussion devoted to the occasion was staged in the presence of members of the defense and security forces and religious fathers.

Assistant Professor Abebaw Ayalew, one of the scholars who presented papers on the panel discussion noted that members of the defense and security forces have paid sacrifices in their precious lives to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country.

He added that apart from the members of the defense forces, those who are serving in the security and police institutions are paying unreserved sacrifices for the maintenance of peace and security of their country stressing the need to honor them.

Another presenter, Assistant Professor Mihretu Shanko also stated that due respect and honor should be accorded to all members of the security forces who are ensuring the safety and security of their country in hostile and difficult terrains across the country.

Those who are willingly enlisting themselves to serve in the defense and security forces are always facing death and need to be fully honored accordingly.

Major General Endalkachew Woldekidan, Director of the department for psychological nurturing in the National Defense Force said that our forefathers transferred this country for the present generation by paying all the sacrifices required of them.

Member of our defense forces join our armed forces not by devoting only part of their livelihood for their country but by deciding to offer their wholesome life for their country, he said.

He added that a soldier does not own his own life but always gets ready to sacrifice themselves for the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Defense Force State Minister Martha Luiji noted that we can safeguard and ensure the territorial integrity of our country by building strong and well equipped armed forces.

She stressed that we need to accord full recognition to all those members of our defense and security forces who pay immense sacrifices for their country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Group 77 and China has been playing a very important role in tackling many outstanding global challenges, Cuban Ambassador Jorge Lefebre Nicolas said.

The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a coalition of 134 developing countries designed to promote members collective economic interests and create enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations.

Next week, Cuba is going to host the Summit of Heads of State and Government for the Group of 77 plus China.

The summit under the theme, “Current Development Challenges: Role of Science, Technology and Innovation,” is scheduled for September 15 and 16, 2023, in Havana, Cuba, it was learned.

Cuba’s Ambassador to Ethiopia told ENA that there are many conflicts in the world and we feel that this group must act together to solve the conflicts and solve problems.

“This is the natural space where the countries of the South can defend their own interest. The group has played an important role in the past. (And) now we are talking about international new economic order,” he added.

According to him, the presence of China in this group gives some economic power as China is one of the most important investors in the South.

The group is very diverse, the ambassador noted, adding that so here we have rich countries, rich economies, and also we have poor economies. “But the most important and the wonderful spirit in this is that we can combine the interest of everyone together in one block and we have the power of the United Nations as a negotiating group.”

Ambassador Nicolas observed that this year Cuba is the temporary president of the group and we are going to discuss important economic issues, how to face the future, how to solve problems deriving from the pandemic and conflicts as well as the global economic crisis.

G-77+ China has been alive and united for 60 years, he pointed out, further saying that the group is very important because it is a forum for negotiating with the United Nations.

The main objective of the group is to support each other and put ahead their position in the UN.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency