Ethio-USA Bilateral Meeting Washington DC Nov 2009

Nov 06 2009 (Washington DC):- Highlighting “the extraordinary relationship between Ethiopia and the United States”, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton welcomed Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin to Washington, D.C. yesterday for bilateral discussions on a wide range of topics.  

“Ethiopia is a country with which we have very long ties, and have, in recent years, developed a very close working relationship on a number of important issues,” said Mrs. Clinton. 

Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin responded to Secretary of State Clinton’s welcome by underscoring his confidence and full trust that the visit will be extremely fruitful in touching base on issues of crucial importance to the United States, Africa and Ethiopia.

During the talks, the United States and Ethiopia agreed to continue working closely together on military and security matters that have far-ranging effects not only in the region but of peace and security worldwide.

In light of Ethiopia’s remarkable gains in economic growth and development, the United States agreed to shift assistance from short-term food aid to longer-term development assistance, particularly in the agricultural sector.

There was a great deal of discussion concerning Ethiopia’s democratization process.  Foreign Minister Seyoum briefed the United States Government on the recent progress made in ensuring a free, fair and transparent electoral process for the upcoming 2010 elections. 

The Foreign Minister explained the steps taken to re-structure the National Electoral Board with the active participation of opposition parties and the consultative process that preceded the electoral code of conduct recently signed by all the major political parties.

Both countries agreed that institution-building is the key to further advancing the democratic process in Ethiopia.

The success of the bilateral talks exemplifies the long-standing mutual respect and trust between the United States and Ethiopia that will continue under the administration of President Barack Obama.