Washington DC GTP Conference Ends by Issuing a Final Resolution!!

April 10, 2011

(April 10, 2011 Washington DC) Ethiopians and Ethiopian- Americans domiciling in and around the Washington Metro Area have pledged to play their role in realizing Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan /GTP/,in a spirited two-day confab they held at the Howard University on April 9, 2011 and at the Ethiopian Embassy on Sunday April 10, 2011.

During the two-day session Minister of Education Ato Demeke Mekonen made a power point presentation revealing what the GTP is all about, objectives of the plan and the pillar strategies of the GTP. Furthermore; he elaborated on some of the gigantic infrastructure projects and manufacturing plants envisaged to be implemented in the forthcoming five- year plan period.

In his opening remark he underlined that the GTP is a comprehensive plan that is designed to transform Ethiopia into a prosperous and middle income country and the successful completion of the plan would benefit each and every Ethiopian of all walks of life.

Ambassador Berhane Gebre Christos State Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed in the conference that Ethiopia’s good relationship with its neighboring countries emanates from the provisions of the country’s foreign Policy which is mainly based on mutual interest and benefits to all countries in our region which in turn is an asset and a crucial instrument for achieving the goals of the GTP. Ambassador Girma Birru, Special Envoy, Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the US on his part elaborated on the overall propitious economic and financial benefits that the huge projects spell both to those engaged and the country at large.

Inspired by the presentation in general and by the Millennium dam project, which is being built on the Nile River, the conference participants have pledged to buy bonds and play their due role in realizing Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan. Finally, an 8 point resolution of the conference which was adopted was declared during the Confab reiterating the participants resolve to full heartedly hail and support the GTP In this resolution the participants called on the fringe extreme so called self-styled members of the opposition to desist from their subservient role as cannon fodders of the sworn enemies of the nation and strongly called upon them to enlist with the current and the correct on ward march of the Ethiopian people lest they will be relegated to the dust bin of history.