On 28 and 29 March 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Under Secretary, Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andžejs Viļumsons, participated in political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Latvia and Ethiopia, as well as having meetings with senior officials from the EU Delegations, the African Union and embassies of various African countries.
In the course of the consultations, Andžejs Viļumsons and the Director General for Europe and American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Eshete Tilahun, highlighted the potential for economic cooperation and experience sharing, especially in the field of information and communication technologies and digitalisation. The officials exchanged views on the opportunities for cooperation in professional education, agriculture and sustainable water management as well as discussing climate change and other global challenges, a solution to which would be facilitated by active cooperation between Latvia and Ethiopia in international organisations. The Political Director drew attention to the threat posed by the Russian aggression against Ukraine to the international order and the global consequences of the invasion, including on the African continent.
During the visit, the delegation also met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia and the Head of the EU Delegation to the African Union. To discuss current challenges and priorities formcooperation with African countries, Andžejs Viļumsons met with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the African Union, and the Ambassadors of Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Congo, and Nigeria to the African Union.
Photo: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia