Sorrow at the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre expressed sorrow on receiving news of the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s death. “The ties between Norway and Ethiopia go back a long way, and during Mr Meles’s term in office Ethiopia and Norway have enhanced their cooperation in several important areas,” he commented.

Meles Zenawi has played a key role in the international cooperation on climate change, including a close collaboration with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. He has also been an important driving force for development in Ethiopia in recent years. He has promoted economic growth and poverty reduction. He has personally played a key role in the Horn of Africa, in particular in connection with the peace negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan.

“Norway and Ethiopia have an open and frank dialogue on political and social issues, including areas, such as human rights, where we have diverging views. And Norway attaches importance to continuing its close cooperation with Ethiopia in the future,” said Mr Støre.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Heikki Holmås commented, “Ethiopia is among the countries that are on track to meet the goal of halving poverty. Mr Meles has played an important part in this work. Norway hopes that this development will continue under new leadership and that freedom of expression and other human rights will be respected.”