Ethiopian FM arrives in Moscow to discuss African conflicts

MOSCOW, Jan 12, 2005 (ITAR-TASS) — The foreign minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Seyoum Mesfin, arrived in Moscow today for discussions on conflict settlement in Africa, in particular the Horn of Africa.

The Ethiopian minister’s visit “is designed to reaffirm the policy of paying more attention to Africa in Russian foreign policy and to give additional impetus to the task of ensuring Russia’s long-term interests in the region as a whole”, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.

On Thursday 13 January the Ethiopian minister will meet his Russian colleague, Sergey Lavrov. The two men will “analyse the problem of ensuring stable development of African countries, easing their debt burden, fighting poverty, as well as the prospects for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian side is expected to “confirm its support for NEPAD and its policy of active cooperation with other G8 members and international organizations in working out a mechanism for the implementation of this programme”. An important place at the meeting “will be given to development of the African Union and to greater integration amongst African countries”.

The two countries’ foreign ministers “will examine world developments in the context of new challenges and global threats”. “Priority will be given to a discussion of topical problems like the struggle against terrorism, the creation of a new system of international security and cooperation, and reform of the UN,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Ways of invigorating bilateral relations, including political and economic ties, will be discussed during the talks.

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service, original in Russian.