The Russian Federation welcomed the conclusion of the law enforcement operation in Tigray State in 2020, said the country’s ambassador to Ethiopia in his New Year message sent to The Ethiopian Herald.
Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin also expressed his country’s solidarity with Ethiopia to rebuild the damaged infrastructural facilities in Tigray “We certainly welcome the completion of the military phase of the operation, which was conducted with the least possible number of civilian victims and casualties.
However, we regret to note that the fighting has inflicted significant damage on the infrastructure that was vital to the region both economically and as a center of attraction for tourists and pilgrims from all over the world, including our country,” said the Ambassador “ I take this opportunity to express solidarity with the Ethiopian government’s plans to reconstruct the region as quickly as possible.”
Russia takes the position that the situation in Tigray is a purely internal affair of Ethiopia and its people. Naturally, Russia is in favor of resolving such conflicts as soon as possible, he said, adding that the sooner peace is achieved there and the sooner it is possible to return to normal life, the better it will be for the whole Ethiopian people, tired of wars and turmoil.
Of course, the existence of peaceful conditions in the country is crucial for the success of constructive efforts. “In this context, I cannot but mention the law-enforcement operation in Tigray. I am confident that our Ethiopian friends will be able to overcome the current temporary difficulties.”
Ethiopia, first and foremost, is a long-standing friend and important partner for us on the African continent. Russia has always been on Ethiopia’s side in its struggle for independence, state sovereignty, and territorial integrity. So we are not indifferent to current events in Ethiopia, he stressed.