States Ambassador Jarso of Ethiopia

By Reporters Kim Jung-mi, Sua Kim

Ambassador Shiferaw Jarso of Ethiopia in Seoul said, “May 28 every year is observed to mark the end of the oppressive Derg Regime in 1991 and the day marks the demise of the repressive military rule in 1991 and the dawn of a new era of peace, development and democracy for the Ethiopian people.”
He made the remarks at a reception he and Madam Jarso hosted at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on May 28, 2017.

Ambassador Shiferaw Jarso of Ethiopia (7th from left, front row) cuts celebration cake other ambassadors and guests.

Ambassador Jarso then stated, “Under this new government, all nations, nationalities and people are recognized in the constitution equally, without any sexual, religious or cultural discrimination, and, as a result, the country’s political, social and economic environment has changed tremendously.”
The party was attended many distinguished guests from all walks of life in Korea and the international community. Among the guests were Deputy Minister Oh Young-ju for Multilateral and Global Affairs of Foreign Affairs, and leading figures from all walks of life, including the religious circles, whence came Ven. Hyangdeok Park of Cheonman-sa Temple in Ulsan. From the media came many representatives who included Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news publications.

From left, Ambassador Peteris Vaivars of Latvia, Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of the Korea Post, Ambassador and Mrs. Shirefaw Jarso of Ethiopia, Ven. Hyangdeok Park of Cheonman-sa temple, Ambassadors Eero Suominen of Finland and Daul Matute-Mejia of Peru, and Defense Attache Col. Mario Gutierrez Martinez of Mexico.

Excerpts from the speech of Ambassador Jarso:
At the outset, please allow me to give my special thanks to all honorable guests and Ethiopian community members who have honored us with your presence out of your busy schedule.
May 28 every year is observed to mark the end of the oppressive Derg Regime in 1991. The day marks the demise of the repressive military rule in 1991 and the dawn of a new era of peace, development and democracy for the Ethiopian people. Under this new government, all nations, nationalities and people are recognized in the constitution equally, without any sexual, religious or cultural discrimination. As a result, the country’s political, social and economic environment has changed tremendously.

Logo ice work of Ethiopia at the reception venue.

This year is the 27th Anniversary of the demise of the dictatorial Derg military regime, which was in place from 1974 until 1991. It was overthrown by a coalition of liberation forces which demanded a democratic system that recognized the rights and freedoms of all of Ethiopia’s many nationalities. Ethiopia is now a country which embraces diversity.
May 28, in fact, marks the beginning of the process to create the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. This new political dispensation is a source of social harmony which has brought successive economic prosperity. Ethiopia is at a renaissance stage with economic growth of double-digit average for the last a decade. The country has been committed to sustain this development with the vision to reach the level of middle-income country by 2025.
It is worth mentioning that Ethiopia is entering new era under the new leadership. Dr. Abiy Ahmed was confirmed and sworn in by Ethiopian Parliament as Prime Minister of Ethiopia on April 2, 2018. During his acceptance speech, he promised political reform, to promote the unity of Ethiopia and the unity among the people of Ethiopia. Dr. Abiy Ahmed is leader of both the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), one of the four coalition parties of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). His acceptance speech sparked optimism and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from Ethiopian public including the opposition groups inside and outside Ethiopia.
It is expected that the anniversary of May 28th will provide an opportunity to pledge cooperation and support for the shared objective of seeing a modern, prosperous and viable Ethiopia achieve its Vision 2025 and the Ethiopian renaissance.
The diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and Korea started in 1963 and has been fruitful in many different areas such investment, trade, science and technology, education, capacity building and technology transfer etc. Many Korean Investors are attracted by Ethiopia’s stability and conducive environment for investment. Accordingly, investment from Korea is growing at an unprecedented scale.
We sincerely thank all of our Korean development partners and investors. Each and every one of you stands beside the Ethiopian people, and your contribution to our country is greatly appreciated.
Fellow Ethiopians,
On this special remarkable day, I would like to thank you for your contributions to the peace, stability and prosperity of your homeland. You play an invaluable part in determining the future of our beautiful nation. Finally, I would like to urge our fellow Ethiopians to be more involved and engaged in investment and knowledge transfer for realization of the Five Year Growth and Transformation Plan and to see prosperous Ethiopia and its people having better livelihood.
I would like once again to thank all of you for coming and gracing us by your presence. Thank you.

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