2/1/2011 (RTTNews) - A New U.S. Embassy relocated into a safer location in the Ethiopian capital has been dedicated by Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg.
Speaking on the occasion, Steinberg said the Embassy was an important symbol of America's commitment to an enduring friendship with Ethiopia, as well as "our bilateral relationships" with the government of Ethiopia and the African Union.
Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, African Union Deputy Chairman Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Lydia Muniz, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald E. Booth, and U.S. Ambassador to the African Union Michael E. Battle also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony held on Monday.
Dedication of the New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Addis Ababa marks the 77th diplomatic facility to be completed by the OBO since the 1999 enactment of the Secure Embassy Construction & Counter-terrorism Act.
In the last 12 years, OBO has moved more than 22,000 people into safer facilities. It has built 30 new facilities in Africa and has an additional seven projects in design or construction on the continent.
The multi-building Embassy complex provides more than approximately 1,000 U.S. Embassy direct hire and locally employed staff, including the U.S. Mission to the African Union.
The new facility was completed in August last at a cost of $157 million.
The US, EU, and China together provide $820 million a year in financial aid to Ethiopia, which is a US ally in the fight against Islamist insurgency in north-eastern Africa.
Speaking on the occasion, Steinberg said the Embassy was an important symbol of America's commitment to an enduring friendship with Ethiopia, as well as "our bilateral relationships" with the government of Ethiopia and the African Union.
Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, African Union Deputy Chairman Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Lydia Muniz, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald E. Booth, and U.S. Ambassador to the African Union Michael E. Battle also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony held on Monday.
Dedication of the New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Addis Ababa marks the 77th diplomatic facility to be completed by the OBO since the 1999 enactment of the Secure Embassy Construction & Counter-terrorism Act.
In the last 12 years, OBO has moved more than 22,000 people into safer facilities. It has built 30 new facilities in Africa and has an additional seven projects in design or construction on the continent.
The multi-building Embassy complex provides more than approximately 1,000 U.S. Embassy direct hire and locally employed staff, including the U.S. Mission to the African Union.
The new facility was completed in August last at a cost of $157 million.
The US, EU, and China together provide $820 million a year in financial aid to Ethiopia, which is a US ally in the fight against Islamist insurgency in north-eastern Africa.
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