Ethiopian premier calls for increased development aid

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 5, 2005 (ENA) — Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Saturday called on the international community to increase development assistance to Ethiopia in terms of both quality and volume.

During discussions he held with a team of UN resident representatives, Meles said in the provision of assistance to Ethiopia, international donors should base their premises on the country’s demand. The assistance Ethiopia has been receiving, so far, from the international community remained less than half of that received by Sub-Saharan African countries, Meles said.

Meles told the representatives that a host of development activities were being carried out as part of the programme designed to ensure food security in the country, according to an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who attended the discussions.

Meles also said the government has attached due emphasis to the use of local resources with a view to bringing about rapid economic development in the country. The country, in a bid to close in on dependency, has been apportioning emergency aid to target beneficiaries who should perform some amount of work to receive supplies proportionate with the energy they invest, Meles said.

The prime minister (PM) also mentioned the efforts being carried out to deliver health service to the wider public. He indicated that the country has been implementing health extension programme and that massive activities were being carried out in fighting HIV/AIDS.

The PM and the representatives have also dwelt on the kind of development assistance needed to support Ethiopia’s development programmes and on the financial assistance necessary to meet the Millennium Development Goals, according to the Foreign Ministry official.

Meles also indicated that the Ethiopian people, the international community as well as the Eritrean people have stood in favour of the five-point peace plan which Ethiopia proposed in an effort to resolve the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute.