Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Dessalegn will visit Finland
Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hailemariam Dessalegn, who also acts as Deputy Prime Minister, will visit Finland on 19-22 March.
Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn will have discussions with Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb and Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala. The topics of discussion will include bilateral relations as well as the situation in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, including the situations of Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. The important role of Ethiopia as a regional actor and the issue of peace mediation will also be discussed.
Ethiopia is a long-term development cooperation partner for Finland. The focus of bilateral cooperation is on the water, education and economic rural development sectors. The foreign minister will also be given a presentation of the human rights-based course of action adopted in Finland’s new Development Policy Action Plan.
Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn will also meet President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö, President Martti Ahtisaari and Foreign Minister’s Special Representative to the Horn of Africa, MP Pekka Haavisto.
The visit will also include meetings with Finnish companies. The minister will get acquainted with the operations of Finpro and Finnfund. During his trip, he will also visit Tampere, where he obtained a Master’s degree in engineering in 1992.
Further information: Helena Airaksinen, Head of Unit for East and West Africa, tel. +358 40 829 3412, Veikko Kiljunen, Diplomatic Adviser to Minister Tuomioja, tel. +358 40 351 9526, Antti Timonen, Press Attaché to Minister Stubb, tel. +358 40 590 7231, Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché for the Minister for International Development, tel. +358 40 522 9869