(L-R); Minister Jean Asselborn; Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia;
Credit: MAEE
Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, also the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, has been in Ethiopia on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu.
On Tuesday, Minister Asselborn paid a field visit to Shire, in the border region with Eritrea (Tigray Regional State), to see the situation in terms of development and migration in the north of the country.
The first step was the visit of the Hitsats refugee camp managed by the competent Ethiopian Administration (ARRA, Administration for Refugee & Returnee Affairs) with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The camp is located about 1,130 km north of Addis Ababa. This centre, established in May 2013, is the newest of all camps hosting Eritrean refugees in the Tigray regional state. More than 15,000 refugees are currently registered there. About 44% of the camp's population is under 18 and 17% of the population is female. The camp consists of 1,300 permanent shelters and 36 emergency shelters that have been built following the influx of refugees since September 2018.
During his visit to northern Ethiopia, Minister Asselborn also visited the Endabaguna Registration and Registration Centre. This centre, which has been operating since 2013, was originally planned to accommodate up to 20,000 refugees on a temporary basis. However, since 2018, the centre has had to deal with a flow of newcomers that exceeds this initial capacity.
On Wednesday, Minister Asselborn was received in Addis Ababa by the President of the Republic, Sahle-Work Zewde, before meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu.
The exchange of views with the Ethiopian authorities provided an opportunity to review recent developments in Ethiopia, regional news and the results of the African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa on 10-11 February. Jean Asselborn also took the opportunity to identify with his interlocutors ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Luxembourg, particularly at the economic level. The preparation of a double taxation agreement and cooperation on air services were discussed, as was the availability of Luxembourg to provide training in financial services.
Minister Asselborn's visit comes in the context of the historic reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which promotes a positive dynamic for the entire Horn of Africa region. The minister will travel to Asmara tomorrow, Thursday, to meet with his Eritrean counterpart.
