Addis Ababa, March 3, 2022 (Walta) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in a statement issued today, said that Ethiopia closely follows the developments in Europe with great caution, calling all parties to exercise restraint in the Ukraine crisis.
“The past two years have made it abundantly clear the level of interdependence within our global community. Issues we consider remote to our respective locations have in reality exposed our vulnerabilities in that no nation is an island. When the COVID-19 virus emerged, the effects of individual national responses were felt throughout the world,”
“Two difficult years later, as our global community emerges from the economic and health shocks of the pandemic, returning the lives of our people to a level of normalcy is a priority. Particularly vulnerable sections of society. Whether it is a health pandemic or an armed confrontation, it is these vulnerable sections of our society that suffer the most,” the Premier said.
Ethiopia has abundant lessons to share from its recent engagement in war. Our experience has shown the devastating consequence that war inflicts upon families, communities, livelihoods and the economy at large. While the material consequence of war can be thought to be easily replenished, it is the lasting impact on the fabric of society that scars nations, he said.
“It is with this recent recollection of war still fresh for many Ethiopians that my government calls upon all parties involved to exercise maximum caution in engagement and refrain from further exacerbating a sensitive situation, the Premier noted,”
“As Ethiopia closely follows the developments in Europe with great caution, we urge all parties to exercise restraint in the Ukraine crisis. We express our concern at the escalating rhetoric that risks further intensifying the issue and call upon all concerned to explore the multiple pathways to reach an understanding,”
“Our tragic historical past as a global community coupled with the vast leaps and advancements we have made in the 21st century beckon a more nuanced approach in our international relations and diplomacy,” the statement said.
“A zero-sum situation need not be our reality, especially when we can rely on the lessons of the past to draw us to greater heights of coexistence. The multilateral institutions and international norms we have built collectively need not be a site of isolation when we designed them to be a mechanism for problem solving, heightened diplomacy and collective development,”
“Let not the failure of diplomacy be the reasons millions of lives are uprooted and global shock waves felt throughout when the tools of creating international harmony are within our means. Ethiopia expresses sincerest wishes for peace to prevail as all concerned parties explore peaceful alternatives to the current status quo,” the Premier underscored.