EUHR Solana contacts Ethiopian PM Meles

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), spoke today with Mr. MELES Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, in order to express his deep concerns about the situation of unrest in his country.

High Representative Solana conveyed a message of restraint to the government of Ethiopia on both the arrest of some opposition leaders, and on the excessive use of force by Ethiopian authorities following recent unrest. In equal measure he expressed his opinion that opposition should take up its seats in both the federal parliament and in Addis Abeba's municipality following the May general elections.

He stressed the importance of finding a negotiated and peaceful solution to the current crises and called upon both parties, the government of Ethiopia and the opposition, to reconcile their positions and to resume dialogue.

HR Solana asserted that a failure in doing so could also bear the risk of further deteriorating the already tense relationship between Ethiopia and its neighbour Eritrea.

| Top |

• EU Presidency Statement on Ethiopian Elections (29/8/2005)
• Commission provides EUR 8.5 million in humanitarian aid for Ethiopia and Eritrea (26/7/2005)
• Joint EU-US Statement on Ethiopia (13/7/2005)
• EU Presidency Declaration on Ethiopia (13/6/2005)
• EU Presidency Declaration on Ethiopia (10/6/2005)
• European Commission urges compromise to resolve Ethiopian crisis (9/6/2005)
• EU Presidency Declaration on elections in Ethiopia (24/5/2005)