We are not going to hold progress hostage: US Ambassador

By Kirubel Tadesse,  Monday, 04 April 2011.
The United States will engage Ethiopia in all major bilateral interests and will not hold hostage progress in one area to progress in other area, the US Ambassador Donald Booth said on Thursday

I am pleased to note that over the past six months we have established a regular and substantive dialogue with the Ethiopian government on all three of pillars of our relationship,” Ambassador Booth said downplaying impact of the two countries’ row over  the May 2010 election, criticized by Washington.

The ambassador named regional stability, promoting economic growth and development and human rights and good governance as the three pillars of Ethio-US ties and stressed that one would not be sacrificed for the other.

Marking the first year anniversary of his appointment as US Ambassador to Ethiopia that came on March 2010, Ambassador Booth gave a rare press conference to local press at the Embassy premises on Thursday.

“Ethiopia is an island of stability in a very troubled region,” Booth said explaining that the US is keen to continue working with Ethiopia to promote regional peace and stability.

“We look to Ethiopia to help resolve regional conflicts, to contribute peacekeeping forces where those are needed in Africa, and for cooperation in countering terrorism and violent extremism,” the ambassador elaborated.

Sudan and Somalia are among the regional stability focal points Ethiopia and America are cooperating on, according to the ambassador.

The ambassador said the US shares Ethiopia’s interests in trying to prevent efforts that might be made to destabilize the region. Recently the Ethiopian government called for international action to disarm the Eritrean capital Asmara.

“We will be working as a good partner with Ethiopia in helping it address the threats it faces… this is an area in which we have a traditionally strong cooperation and relationship and I fully anticipate that will continue,” the ambassador said.

During the fifty minute press conference, the ambassador touted increasing the trade volume between the US and Ethiopia.

US imports from Ethiopia in 2010 were 120 million dollars while exports from the US to Ethiopia were recorded at 360 million dollars.  

“Both of those categories have been growing; from 2009 to 2010 US imports from Ethiopia grew by six percent, US exports to Ethiopia grew by 25 percent so you can see that there is an expanding business private sector relationship,” Booth said.

The ambassador said the US puts equal emphasis in promoting economic growth and development in Ethiopia while it also underlines promoting democracy, human rights and good governance.

“Strong democratic institutions including strong civil societies, organizations, independent and professional media, judiciary as well as respect for human rights will only increase the stability and prosperity of Ethiopia that is why we engage in those areas,” the ambassador said.

The US remains Ethiopia’s largest donor with over a billion dollars in annual aid that mainly comes through food aid and health assistance.

The two countries’ ties suffered a blow during the May 2010 national elections when the ruling party won by a 99 percent margin over the opposition that rejected the outcome and called for a rerun.

“An environment conducive to free and fair elections was not in place even before Election Day. In recent years, the Ethiopian government has taken steps to restrict political space for the opposition through intimidation and harassment, tighten its control over civil society, and curtail the activities of independent media,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said last May.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi strongly rejected the remarks and said his country could manage without US aid if it came down to that.

The ambassador at Thursday’s press conference softened the tone. “The Ethiopian people have accepted the outcome of this election. It is not our job to challenge their wisdom in that,” the ambassador said.

“The relationship between the US and Ethiopia is one of our important relationships and certainly one of the multifaceted relationships in Africa.