Borkena
Toronto – Tewodros Girma, Ethiopia’s new Ambassador to Canada, presented his credentials as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Canada” to Canada’s Governor General and Commander-in-Chief, the Right Honorable Mary Simon.
Ambassador Tewodros replaces Fitsum Arega, who is currently serving as Director General for the Ethiopian Diaspora Service.
Through its new ambassador, Ethiopia expressed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. Investment and trade have been identified as priority areas.
Mining, energy, agriculture, and information technology appear to be of particular interest to Ethiopia, based on an update from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Canada’s experience in governance and reconciliation was also highlighted as an area of interest for Ethiopia. According to the Ministry, the new ambassador “expressed Ethiopia’s interest in learning from Canada’s expertise in federal governance and truth and reconciliation, highlighting Ethiopia’s preparations for a national dialogue.” Ethiopia established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2018 after Abiy Ahmed took office with the aim to “maintain peace, justice, national unity and consensus and also Reconciliation among Ethiopian Peoples.”
The Governor General reportedly “reaffirmed Canada’s readiness to support experience-sharing on truth and reconciliation.” According to sources, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created out of a legal process in connection with residential school survivors – from Indigenous people in Canada.
Ethiopia experienced one of the bloodiest wars in its history between 2020 and 2022 in the northern part of the country, which claimed an estimated one million lives. The country is still grappling with a devastating war in the Amhara region and an insurgency in the Oromia region. Ethiopia’s federal system, which is based on ethnicity, is widely criticized by activists as the primary driver of ethnic-based violence that has plagued the nation for several decades.
Diplomatic Relations Between Canada and Ethiopia
According to the Government of Canada website, diplomatic relations with Ethiopia were established in 1965. Canada has an embassy in Addis Ababa, which is also accredited to Djibouti.
Canada’s focus in its diplomatic mission in Ethiopia includes democracy and human rights, regional peace and security, trade, and sustainable development.
The two countries also have trade relations. In 2021, the total volume of trade between the two countries was $163 million, with imports from Ethiopia accounting for only $51.6 million. Ethiopia’s primary export to Canada is coffee.
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