Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Petersen to visit Ethiopia on 15-16 November

The Foreign Minister will hold talks in Addis Ababa with the leader of the African Union (AU), Alpha Oumar Konaré, about the new African security architecture, other roles of the AU and Norway’s co-operation with the organisation.

“The African Union has taken on major, important tasks, not least in connection with the crisis in Darfur,” said Foreign Minister Petersen. “The AU has given African co-operation new dynamism, and Norway must do its share in supporting the AU’s efforts. It is therefore important that we remain in close dialogue with the AU on how we best can co-operate with the organisation,” said Mr Petersen.

The Foreign Minister will also have talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Foreign Minister Seyom Mesfin, with a focus on the peace process between Ethiopia and Eritrea, other regional issues and the bilateral co-operation between Norway and Ethiopia.

The Foreign Minister will meet Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, the UN Secretary General’s special representative to the UN peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia (UNMEE).

Furthermore, the Foreign Minister will meet key actors in the religious dialogue between Ethiopia and Eritrea, hold talks on human rights and democracy with representatives of the opposition and meet the ambassadors of Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda and Algeria.

Press contact: Deputy Director General Øystein Bø, mobile phone: 90 52 08 54