Addis Ababa, 30 March 2023 (TDI): Under-Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andžejs Viļumsons participated in political consultation with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, and representatives from African countries.
He further held meetings with senior officials from European Union (EU) delegations, the African Union, and embassies of various African countries.
The Latvian Political director had fruitful bilateral consultation with Ambassador Fathallah Sijimlmassi, Director General of the African Union (AU).
He also met Victor Adeleke, Ambassador of Nigeria, and Daniel Owassa from the Congo Republic and had useful discussions with them.
During consultations, Ambassador Eshete Tilahun, Director General for Europe and American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia highlighted the prospects of economic cooperation between the two countries.
Both parties emphasized the need for experience sharing, especially in the information and communication technologies (ICT) and digitization field.
The officials also expressed readiness in cooperating in professional education, agriculture, and sustainable water management. The discussions also touched upon the issue of climate change and other pressing global challenges.
The officials agreed on facilitating active cooperation between Latvia and Ethiopia in international organizations to work towards solutions to formidable challenges.
The Political Director of Latvia accentuated the threats posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine to international stability and order. The global consequences of war have trickled down to as far as the African continent.
During the visit, the Latvian delegation met with the Head of the EU delegation to Ethiopia as well as with the Head of the EU delegation to the African Union.
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Andžejs Viļumsons held a high-level meeting with a number of representatives from African counties to discuss current challenges.
The meetings aimed to set priorities for enhancing the bilateral partnership with African countries along with enabling cooperation and competitiveness.
Furthermore, the Political director met the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the African Union, and the Ambassadors of Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Congo, and Nigeria to the AU.
The meetings and political consultation emboldened trust between Latvia, Ethiopia, and African counties. All parties advanced their commitment to cooperate in the education, agriculture, and digitization sectors.
