The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi di Maio, has received today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Ethiopian Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothewos Hessebon. The Ethiopian Minister has arrived in Rome to discuss the situation in Tigray on the instructions of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.
The Ethiopian delegation has delivered to Minister Di Maio a letter from Prime Minister Abiy addressed to the President of the Council of Ministers, Mario Draghi.
Minister Di Maio has reiterated the Italian concerns about the situation in Tigray, shared by most of our international partners. Minister Di Maio has called for an immediate ceasefire, with the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the region, unrestricted humanitarian access and complete independence and transparency of investigations on human rights violations. Minister Di Maio has also recalled that Italy was among the first countries to carry out a humanitarian flight in Tigray last April and is ready to carry out new operations.
Minister Di Maio has also expressed concern for the frequent inter-ethnic clashes throughout the country, hoping to start a genuine and inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation in view of the upcoming general elections.
The Ethiopian delegation has assured that Addis Ababa is working at the highest levels to respond to the concerns of international partners on the crisis in Tigray.
