Ethiopia

Allow me to extend to you, Sir, our warm congratulations on your election to preside over the historic sixtieth session of the General 13 Assembly. You can rest assured of the fullest cooperation of my delegation. We want to express our appreciation to the President of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly, our brother, Mr. Jean Ping, whose tenure as President of the Assembly coincided with momentous events at the United Nations that required both wisdom and a great deal of competence on the part of the President. Mr. Jean Ping showed he had both, and he has made us all proud. We are, as usual, grateful to our Secretary- General, Kofi Annan, whose tenure of office will always be remembered as a period of enormous dedication to the reform of the United Nations and of a noble effort to mobilize international support to combat extreme poverty. The outcome document which our heads of State or Government endorsed (resolution 60/1) reflects the global consensus on the fact that the reform of the United Nations is essential and timely. My delegation welcomes the document, which outlines a far-reaching agenda for change. The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by those vulnerable to being thrown off track is critical to all, not just to those directly affected. It would be regrettable if targets that have so much significance for the well-being of all were missed in the course of the next 10 years due to failure on the part of those directly affected or a lack of solidarity at the international level. We strongly believe that the targets are neither unrealistic nor unduly ambitious. It cannot be emphasized enough that, at the end of the day, those that have primary responsibility for prevailing over extreme poverty are those that are directly affected. But those that suffer from extreme poverty require the support of the international community to stay on track to achieve the MDGs. In concrete terms, that means that official development assistance and measures on debt relief and trade need to be aligned with the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. In that regard, we are encouraged by the progress made at the Group of Eight Gleneagles summit. We were also encouraged by the commitment of leaders at the High-level Plenary Meeting to address the current distortions in international trade, including through the elimination of agricultural subsidies. There is nothing more important for low-income countries than a partnership that is predictable, consistent and based on previously defined mutual obligations. No amount of international cooperation will be enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals unless domestic conditions are met in all relevant areas. We in Ethiopia have been doing our level best in that regard. We have spared no effort to change the economic situation in our country for the better, our primary focus being the rural sector. Ethiopia has made a tireless effort to implement the Millennium Development Goals. Despite all the complications and the absence of a tradition of loyal opposition, the recent elections in Ethiopia have demonstrated the depth of commitment we have to transform the tradition of governance in Ethiopia ó a tradition that has been as remote from democracy as it is possible to be. Those elections stand out as a milestone in the process of democratization of the State and of society at large. Ethiopia has entered into a new era of a vibrant multiparty political system. In the area of peace - and particularly with respect to peace in our subregion - we, along with like-minded partners, will continue to be pillars for peace and stability. On the fight against terrorism, Ethiopia will continue to discharge its responsibility in cooperation with other peace-loving countries. Ethiopia rejects terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We in Ethiopia are determined to work with the international community to implement the counter-terrorism strategy. In connection with our deep aspiration for peace, our only source of disappointment is the lingering dispute we have with Eritrea. Ethiopia has been contributing more than its share to resolve that outstanding problem. In his statement on Wednesday, 21 September (see ), the Eritrean representative officially threatened to use force against Ethiopia on the basis of the unfounded allegation that part of Eritrean territory is under Ethiopian occupation. I find it incumbent upon me to set the record straight. This is a problem that grew out of an act of aggression committed by Eritrea against Ethiopia. It is no secret how Ethiopia managed to reverse the Eritrean aggression and how it created the conditions for a peaceful resolution of the crisis between the two countries, based on legality, to which Ethiopia has been 14 and remains committed. Any suggestion, such as the one made by the Eritrean representative on Wednesday, that Eritrean territory is occupied is a mockery of the truth and an insult to the intelligence of the international community. The threat or use of force should have no place as a means of resolving disputes between States. That is a principle to which Ethiopia has adhered: before the Eritrean act of aggression, after the aggression was reversed and since. Regrettably, Eritrea's attitude is different, as has been repeatedly evidenced on the ground in our region and in statements made by Eritrean officials in different forums, including the General Assembly. The Eritrean Government needs to be reminded that it should make no mistake: it will be held accountable for its actions. Ethiopia has always been committed to the rule of law and to the maintenance of peace and stability. Our five-point peace plan of 25 November 2004 for moving forward towards peace with Eritrea, which was welcomed by the international community, demonstrates Ethiopia's seriousness in that regard. Eritrea knows that Ethiopia has been ready for dialogue, both to ensure the demarcation of the boundary on the basis of the decision of the Boundary Commission and to normalize relations between the two countries. Eritrea abhors dialogue, perhaps because it suspects that dialogue would eventually lead to peace. It is not clear whether the Government of Eritrea believes that peace serves its interests. Perhaps the people of Eritrea need to be kept on their toes, with their gaze focused on artificial external adversity. In any event, Eritrea has no reason to be angry at Ethiopia or at the world. Eritrea dragged Ethiopia into war in 1998 and now continues to be an obstacle to the normalization of relations between the two countries and peoples. The problem between Ethiopia and Eritrea has never been, and is not, a legal one; rather, it is political in nature, and Ethiopia has the political will to move forward. We invite Eritrea to join us in that effort. Ethiopia does not believe at all in sabre-rattling, least of all between countries that should have little time to spare from fighting extreme poverty. On the continental level, we are encouraged by the dynamism that the new African Union has injected into the joint African effort for peace and stability. There is no doubt that reform of the United Nations could create even greater possibilities for Africa to play its proper role, not only within Africa but also outside the continent. Ethiopia continues to attach great importance to the reform of the United Nations. We believe that, although all our expectations have not been met, the High-level Plenary Meeting provided great impetus for making progress, in terms of both achieving the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the reform of the United Nations. It is our hope that it will be possible to make progress in the course of this session. I would like to conclude by reiterating Ethiopia's commitment to the United Nations, and its preparedness to do whatever is necessary to contribute to efforts designed to make the Organization more effective and more representative.