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Welcoming Cermony at National Palace

Ethiopian Embassy News A Monthly Newsletter of the Ethiopian Embassy, Washington D.C.

Year: II Issue 02, August 2015

On Monday morning, June 27, 2015, Obama joined

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn at the National

Palace in Addis Ababa, where the offical welcome

cermony is held. The visit makes Obama the first

sitting US President to come to Ethiopia. He held talks

with his counterpart Mulatu Teshome. Among the

major discussion points were the conflict in South

Sudan, confronting the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab

clique in Somalia and economic development.

President Obama's Visit to Ethiopia

President Barack Obama made a historic first visit

and arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday night July 26,

2015 for an official visit to Ethiopia, the second

biggest populous nation in Africa and the fastest

growing economy. Prime Minister Hailemariam

Desalegn welcomed the President upon his arrival at

the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.

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President Mulatu Teshome welcomes President Barack Obama at National Palace

Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and President

Barack Obama, heading their respective delegations,

held bilateral discussions on various issues of common

interest at the National Palace in Addis Ababa. The

bilateral talks covered ways on how to best deepen

comprehensive cooperation in trade and investment,

expedite the strategic partnership in security and peace-

building, encourage US investors to bring their

enterprises to Ethiopia, as well as step up cooperation

to make President Obama’s Flagship Alliance for Food

Security program a complete success, take advantage of

Power Africa schemes. The talks, serving the two

leaders to exchange views on how the US can champion

the Addis Ababa Action Agenda at the upcoming

negations of the Sustainable Development Goals summit

in New York in September, also dwelt on how best to

coordinate efforts to combat climate change, work hand

in hand to make the COP21 negotiations a success. The

bilateral talks offered an opportunity on how the US can

extend support in Ethiopia’s democratization process.

President Obama and Prime Minster Hailemariam

briefed local and foreign journalists in Addis Ababa

after discussing many regional and bilateral issues. The

visiting US President said Ethiopia is a key partner of

the US particularly in fighting terrorism and building

lasting peace in the region. One of the agendas was

security cooperation, in which Obama says it is pushing

back against “violent extremism”. In this regard,

Ethiopia is a key partner of the US in the region and

contributing a lot in the fight against terrorism.

The President said “Ethiopia's contribution to the

African Union Mission in Somalia has reduced areas

under Al-Shabab control. This past week Ethiopian

troops have helped to retake two major Al-Shabab

strongholds, we have now to keep the pressure on” he

said. Saying Ethiopia is a “strong partner” with the

United States and a leader in the region, Obama said it

has the opportunity to extend its leadership in a way it

benefit its people and it sets a “positive example” in the

region.

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Bilateral meeting at National Palace

The President confirmed his country’s readiness to

support Ethiopia in its struggle towards development.

“As you take steps moving your country forward, the

United States will be standing by you the entire way.”

The issue of good governance was also among the

discussion points. Obama said sustainable and inclusive

growth, development and security gains deepen on good

governance, he added, they discussed steps Ethiopia can

take to show progress on promoting good governance,

protecting human rights and strengthening democracy.

In spite of the challenges it faces the Ethiopian

government believes that it is on the right track in terms

of strengthening the democratization process. Prime

Minister Hailemariam said “…we fill that we are on the

right track and there is a constitutional democracy which

we all are obliged to observe for the sake of our own

people.”

He emphasized that learning from the US and other age

long democracies is important to enhance the

democratization process, since it is a process of learning.

Saying the democratization process is “already

underway”, Hailemariam expressed his government’s

commitment to deepen the democratic process.

President Obama’s visit gave momentum for the age-

long bilateral ties. “My visit reflects the importance

the United States places on our relationship with

Ethiopia and all the nations and peoples of Africa.”

President Obama said his country wants to sustain

the rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, one of the

fastest emerging economies in the world. “Ethiopia

has the fastest economies in the world and the

largest in Africa. We want to sustain that momentum,

as a growing and inclusive economy in Ethiopia

means more opportunity for Ethiopians and more

trade and investment between our nations”.

It is this economic performance that forced the US to

shift its strategy from just providing aid to

development assistance. “…in this modern world it is

not enough just to provide aid. Sometimes the aid is

critical… but we also believe that we are your best

partners and your best friends when we are building

capacity. So instead of just giving the fish we teach

you how to fish.”

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Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President Barack Obama at the joint press conference

Saying the democratization process is “already

underway”, Hailemariam expressed his government’s

commitment to deepen the democratic process.

Underlining the need to strengthen institutions and

build capacities, the Premier said a strong support is

expected from the US in this regard.

support in Ethiopia’s democratization process.

Regarding global perceptions in terms of human

right issues, Hailemariam said the perceptions and

the reality in Ethiopia “don’t much most of the time”

and the government is concerned about this. Noting

the age long undemocratic practices in pre-federal

Ethiopia, the Premier said it is difficult to easily get

out of those practices. “It is not easy within few

decades, in our case only two decades of

democratization, that we can get rid of all the

attitudinal problems and some challenges we face.

But we fill that we are on the right track and there is

a constitutional democracy which we all are obliged

to observe for the sake of our own people.”

The president’s visit also saw the signing of an agreement

as part of the Power Africa initiative. The agreement was

between Ethiopian Electric Power and Berkeley Energy, a

Power Africa Partner and manager of the $200m Africa

Renewable Energy Fund, for the sale of 500MW of geo-

thermal electric power. The power is produced by Corbetti,

near Hawassa and will be sold to the EEP, with the

possibility of an additional 500MW over the coming years.

During the signing ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of

Ethiopian Electric Power(EEP), Azeb Asnake said Ethiopia

is willing and desires to interconnect each power system

and share the electric power by creating market. To satisfy

the energy demand of the country, Ethiopian Electric

Power has designed and embarked on generating

renewable energy in line with its 25-year power sector

master plan, the CEO added.

Ethiopia is endowed with abundant renewable energy

resources, including 45,000 MWs in renewable, in addition

to hydropower potential more than 10,000 MWs from

untapped geothermal resources. By 2037, Ethiopia aspires

to have a total instated generation capacity of 37,000 MWs

and become the major power exporter.

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President Obama met Lucy

President Barack Obama met Lucy, at the National

Palace in Addis Ababa, July 27, 2015 before the state

dinner. Discovered in Ethiopia's Afar region, Lucy is a

3.3 million-year-old bone from a female

Australopithecus Afarensis and the most complete

skeleton of an early human ancestor ever discovered.

"That's amazing," Obama marveled as he scanned the

fossils laid out in an open case in a room at the palace.

He even gave them a touch after being encouraged to

by researchers. Lucy is normally housed in the National

Museum of Ethiopia, but the exhibit was brought to the

palace for Obama's visit. Later, Obama told guests at a

state dinner that Lucy is a reminder that the world's

people are part of the same human family.

"So much of the hardship and conflict and sadness and

violence that occur around the world is because we

forget that fact," he said. "We look at superficial

differences as opposed to seeing the fundamental

connection that we all share."

During his trip, President Obama toured the Ethiopian

fortified food company, Faffa Food, to observe how his

signature initiative, Feed the Future, is achieving

concrete results. The president learned from the

manager of Faffa Food how Feed the Future is working

with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) and Techno

Serve to help his company meet the needs of Ethiopian

consumers by improving the nutrition, safety and

affordability of its products. Faffa Food also sells its

products to aid agencies working to feed refugees

fleeing conflicts in neighboring countries.

While at Faffa, President Obama had the chance to meet

Gifty Jemal Hussein, a woman farmer who has

benefitted from the partnership between USAID

and DuPont Pioneer. Gifty told President Obama how the

improved maize seed she was able to purchase had

tripled her corn harvest. With increased income, she was

able to send her children to school, buy a cow, and build

a better house.

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President Obama Visiting Faffa Food Complex

Obama also met with leaders of East African countries

to deliberate on the issue of South Sudan. He also

visited the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa,

where he made a historic speech.

Speaking at the African Union Hall on July 28, 2015, US

President Barack Obama noted that since good

governance is the best weapon against terrorism and

instability, Africa’s progress will depend upon human

rights of all people. The single best indicator whether a

nation succeeds is also how it treats women, according

to the president.

President Obama further said that when women have

health care and education, families become stronger,

communities become prosperous and moreover

nations will become more prosperous. “If you want

your country to grow and succeed, you have to

empower your women. If you empower more women,

America will be your partner,” the president stressed.

A delegation of 19 Members of Congress accompanied

President Obama on his visit to Ethiopia. The

delegation visited the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers’

Union in Addis Ababa. Through Feed the Future, USAID

is working with coffee stakeholders in Ethiopia to

connect Ethiopian coffee with more lucrative

international market. In addition to touring the facility,

the delegation toured an exhibition of displays by

private sector and Government of Ethiopia partners of

the Feed the Future initiative to learn how their work is

helping Ethiopia to find sustainable solutions to food

security issues. The delegation also visited Ethiopian

Airlines.

President Obama left Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015

afternoon after a two-day official visit. On departure,

the president was seen off by Prime Minister

Hailemariam Dessalegn and senior government

officials.

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Pictures From President Obama's Visit to

Ethiopia

President Barack Obama Arriving at Bole International

Airport

Prime Minister Hailemariam welcoming President Obama at

Bole International Airport

President Obama's Official welcome cermony at the National

Palace

President Obama touched Lucy

President Obama Enjoying Ethiopian Coffee

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Member's of Delegation visiting Lucy

Enjoying Ethiopian Music at the State Dinner

President Obama delivering a toast at the State Dinner - "Le

Tenachin"

Multilateral meeting with Regional Leaders

President Obama with Dr. Delamini Zuma at AU

President Obama delivering a Speech at the African Union

(AU)

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President Obama Visiting Faffa Food Complex

President Obama Visiting Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner

President Obama's Departure At Bole International Airport