Ethiopia has commenced preparations in connection with the building a new nuclear power plant in the country under an agreement initially signed with Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation in October 2017.
“Officials from Rosatom and Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology have met twice since the signing of the agreement, during which a working group was set up,” Alemayehu Tegu, Ambassador of the Ethiopia to the Russian Federation, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
“Now they’re drawing up an action plan, after which, we’ll inch closer towards commencing the construction of the nuclear power plant,” he said.
While the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in 2017, an Intergovernmental framework agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy was signed on the side lines of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum, two years later.
Areas of cooperation under the agreement that Rosatam claims “will serve as a springboard for active dialogue between the two countries in the field of nuclear technologies”. (Defense World)
UN seeks USD 1 bln for Ethiopia humanitarian response for 2020
The United Nations (UN), the Ethiopian government and its partners have launched a USD one billion plan to respond to the humanitarian need in Ethiopia for 2020, a UN spokesman said Wednesday.
The humanitarian response plan aims to help seven million of the 8.4 million people identified as being in need of humanitarian aid in the country, said Stephane Dujarric at a daily press briefing in New York at the UN Headquarters.
“It is expected that displacement caused by conflict, disease outbreaks, rain shortfalls in parts of the country and floods in others will continue to drive humanitarian needs in Ethiopia this year,” the spokesman told journalists.
Currently, Ethiopia is experiencing one of the most severe desert locust invasions, which could lead to loss of livelihoods and food insecurity if not contained soon.
Last year, the annual humanitarian response plan for Ethiopia set a target of gathering USD 1.314 billion to aid 8.3 million of some 8.86 million in need. (CGTN Africa)
Ethiopia resumes WTO membership negotiations
Ethiopia has resumed the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process after eight years.
Senior Advisor and Chief Trade Negotiator at the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mamo Mihretu, met with WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland.
The two sides held talks on ways to accelerate the accession process in Ethiopia’s long-established move to join the WTO.
The Advisor extended his gratitude to the Director-General who is in support for Ethiopia’s accession process to the WTO.
The WTO accession process has been an integral part of the sweeping economic reforms which the Government of Ethiopia has been pursuing from the highest-political levels.
It is to be recalled that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) met with WTO Director-General, Roberto Azevêdo, on the margins of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on 23 January 2019.
Following their talks, last June Prime Minister Abiy set up a 10-member national committee to resume the negotiation. (ENA)
First Lady inaugurates 13.8 mln. Birr worth secondary school
Office of the First Lady inaugurates a secondary school worth of 13.8 million Birr in North Shewa Zone of the Oromia State on Tuesday.
The school named Efa Selale was inaugurated by First Lady Zinash Taychew. Inaugurating the school, First Lady Zinash said that the inauguration of Efa Selale secondary school, apart from playing a role in minimizing girl’s school drop outs, could have significance to ensure accessibility and quality education.
The First Lady called on the society to protect the school as one of their possessions. The school has 16 classrooms, a library and office buildings. While it has the capacity to enroll 800 students, currently it has already enrolled 158 students.
The Office has planned to build about twenty secondary schools and so far built five schools across the nation. Head of the State’s Education Bureau also attended the inauguration ceremony. The cornerstone of the school was laid last year and currently it has started schooling. (The Ethiopian Herald)
