Ethiopian, U.S. officials hold 7th Working Group meeting

Ethiopian and U.S. officials held their 7th Bilateral Democracy, Governance and Human Rights Working Group meeting in Addis Ababa.

The discussion at the Working Group addressed a broad range of issues, including the Ethiopian government’s commitment to pursue electoral reform, respect for constitutional rights and obligations and prospects for dialogue under the state of emergency.

Participants also shared views on the need to support a strong and vibrant media, ways to counter hate speech while respecting basic freedoms, the important role of civil society in strengthening good governance, and the annual U.S. Human Rights Report.

The Working Group provides an opportunity for representatives of the U.S. government and the government of Ethiopia to discuss frankly the full range of governance and human rights issues.

Both sides welcomed the frank exchange of views during the discussion.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two governments agreed to continue regularly the Working Group meetings.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu,  State Minister Hirut Zemene were joined by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Tom Malinowski and the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Ethiopia, Peter Vrooman, for the Working Group meeting.

source ANE