Zubair Qureshi
The Embassy of Ethiopia in Islamabad organized on Thursday a reception 18th Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Day of Ethiopia for the Ethiopian diaspora and friends from media, civil society and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Director Africa Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Arshad Abbasi and Country Representative, UNICEF Dr Abdullah Fadil were among the noted guests who attended the reception and participated in celebrations.
The day was celebrated colorfully with characteristic national zeal and fervour of Ethiopia.
Cultural performances and Ethiopian coffee were put on display to promote the diverse culture of Ethiopia. Speaking on the occasion, Jemal Beker Abdula, Ambassador of Ethiopia said the people of Ethiopia were celebrating the 18th Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Day of Ethiopia. To this end, a strong foundation was laid by Nations, nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia that ratified Ethiopia’s Constitution on December 8, 1994 that recognized and transformed diversity into strength and wealth while guaranteeing democratic order, lasting peace, and advancing political, economic and social matters based on equality and justice that ensures fraternity and national unity among Ethiopians, he added.
On this auspicious day, the ambassador said a seed of harmony was planted in the diverse soil of Ethiopia that today has transformed into a majestic tree blossoming with the spirit of unity, tolerance, compassion and above all, Ethiopianism.
We are celebrating the day under the slogan “Diversity & Equality for Ethiopian Unity,” he said adding, “Our diversity is our strength and what we all must do is to contribute in this cause, show compassion to each other, live in harmony and promote peace and prosperity to build an ideal and strong nations for the coming generations,” he said, while describing the current generation as “Medemer” that is destined to leave a strong legacy for the next generation.
He said understanding each other, strengthening fraternity and living in harmony and fighting the challenges together to achieve a strong, resilient and prosperous Ethiopia should be the priority for all the nations. Jemal Beker said both Ethiopia and Pakistan faced the challenge of hybrid warfare and there is a strong need for initiating bilateral cooperation between the two countries to deal with this challenge.
“False narratives are being peddled to mislead the youth to see decay of a society. We all must be wary of this challenge which is not only faced by Ethiopia but Pakistan as well.”
“We have already initiated a bilateral cooperation in the area of climate change by launching the Green Legacy Initiative of our Prime Minister and the 2019’s Nobel Peace laureate His Excellency Dr Abiy Ahmed here in Pakistan and we are currently working to fight the challenge of climate change,” he stressed. The ambassador said the government of FDR Ethiopia was committed to defending its sovereignty, diversity and aspiration of its nations. “Today, Ethiopia is a symbol of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and our Prime Minister is leading the efforts to promote national unity in Ethiopia,” he added.
