DPM Demeke Confers With South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong

(ENA) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, spoke over the phone with Foreign Affairs Minister of South Korea, CHUNG EUI-YONG today.

During the meeting, Demeke appreciated the longstanding relationship between the two countries and called on to further strengthen it.

He also spoke about the unilateral humanitarian ceasefire that the Government of Ethiopia has declared recently and its importance in letting farmers employ the planting season undisturbed by conflict.

Demeke expressed his hope that the humanitarian operators in the region would exploit the opportunity created for unfettered access to scale-up support to the people in the region.

Although the ceasefire took many by surprise, the Government of Ethiopia has been deliberating on it for a while, and the decision was made considering the inherent needs of Ethiopians for peace as expressed during the 6th general election.

He finally said the international community, including South Korea, would appreciate the magnanimity of the Ethiopian government in declaring the ceasefire and discourages elements that would try to belittle it at the expense of the wellbeing of the people of Tigray.

The South Korean Foreign Minister, on his part appreciated Ethiopia’s declaration on the humanitarian ceasefire and congratulated the government and people of Ethiopia for successfully conducting the 6th general election.

He also noted the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries and stressed the need to further cooperate in the international arena too, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

South Korean Foreign Minister finally invited Ethiopia to participate in the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations (UNPKO) Ministerial conference that South Korea plans to host in December 2021.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced Ethiopia’s acceptance of the invitation and suggested that the two countries hold High-level Joint Ministerial Committee consultations on the margins of the Conference.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency