From 21 to 24 January 2020, Jānis Mažeiks, Political Director and Under Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was on a working visit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to take part in the second political consultations between Latvia and Ethiopia, as well as to meet with several ambassadors accredited to Ethiopia and the African Union (AU).
Jānis Mažeiks and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Her Excellency Mahlet Hailu discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations between Latvia and Ethiopia, ways forward in business cooperation, in particular, in ICT, forestry and food production, and higher education, as well as mutual support in international organisations and Latvia’s candidacy for the UN Security Council. The Ethiopian officials said the country was prepared to sign a convention on avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with Latvia as soon as possible.
Current developments concerning peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Baltic Sea region were also discussed. Ethiopia called on Latvia to strengthen its presence in Africa and to open an embassy in a sub-Saharan country. Ethiopia’s advantages were emphasised in this context, with Addis Ababa hosting the headquarters of the AU and a large number of foreign embassies, including those of 22 European Union Member States.
During his visit, Jānis Mažeiks also met with the heads of EU delegations in Ethiopia and the AU, as well as taking part in meetings of EU Member State Ambassadors. Jānis Mažeiks had meetings with several ambassadors and Chargés d’affaires accredited to the AU to discuss bilateral relations, cooperation in international organisations and preparations for the AU Summit beginning of February 2020, the meeting of the EU and the AU Foreign Ministers this coming March and the EU-AU Summit in the autumn of 2020.
Background information
The first Latvian-Ethiopian political consultations took place in Ethiopia in April 2017 with participation of the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrejs Pildegovičs, and the State Minister at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hirut Zemene.
Diplomatic relations between Latvia and Ethiopia were established on 11 March 2008.