Addis Ababa is the diplomatic capital of Africa, second only to New York (US) and Geneva (Switzerland), in terms of the foreign diplomatic missions (over 130) and diplomats.
Developing relations with Ethiopia is conducted by the Embassy I am honored to be at the head in accordance with the vision of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, voiced by the Head of State during a conversation with the African media two years ago – in August 2022:
I don’t think there should be neutrality in war. This is the wrong attitude. There can be no neutrality between life and death. When you are neutral in the war, you immediately turn from even a large state into a small one. No one sees you, the world does not see you, and therefore, you do not influence the processes in the world. And when you have problems, you have to remember that the world can also be neutral. And it’s not about business – it’s about people’s lives […] There is no war, which is far away. This is the injustice of the security structure of the whole world, which needs to be changed. International institutions need to be changed to make them work. Today, when we talk about security guarantees for Ukraine, we act as a living yet tragic example that can later be extended to other continents and other states […] It’s about people dying. I know what we should do to help the countries of the African continent, just as African countries should unite and support Ukraine, because the truth is on our side.
The food crisis in Africa caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine
The main diplomatic achievements in 2022 at the Ukraine – African Union multilateral track, among others, were – the first-ever telephone conversation between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (April 29), as well as an online letter by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, to the African Union Bureau (June 20) on food security crisis on the continent caused by the Russian Federation aggression against Ukraine.
Africa is actually a hostage… of those who unleashed war against our state […] This war may seem very distant to you and your countries […] But the food prices that are catastrophically rising have already brought [the war] to the homes of millions of African families.
In the summer of 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Maksym Subkh as Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa, which allowed us to fully intensify our country’s efforts in the political sphere and qualitatively strengthen trade & economic dialogue with the countries of the continent, with Ethiopia in particular. Thus, on October 10, 2022, Maksym Subkh paid a working visit to Addis Ababa, where he met with Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, held talks with the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and delivered a speech at High level Food Security and Nutrition Conference under the theme “Mobilising support for Food and Nutrition Security” in the African Union Headquarters.
Ukraine remains a reliable partner of Africa and grain exporter. Despite the extremely difficult consequences of Russian aggression, Ukraine, as one of the guarantors of global food security and a reliable grain exporter to Africa, is eager to contribute to strengthening the activities of the international community under the auspices of the UN World Food Program in the fight against hunger […] Ukraine has a lot to give – from agricultural products and technologies to digital transformation and education. Ukraine is happy to share goods, experience, and knowledge, and count on African partners opening new business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from Ukraine. I am confident that Ukrainian – African renaissance will continue and yield even more results for both Ukraine and African nations.
During the talks on the bilateral track, the Ethiopian Foreign Minister recognised the profound capacity of Ukraine’s agricultural sector, the significant experience, the bilateral talks, and the professional level of Ukrainian specialists. As a result of these talks, it was agreed to enhance Ethiopian-Ukrainian cooperation in the agricultural sector.
On May 24, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine paid the first visit to Ethiopia in the history of Ukrainian-Ethiopian relations. Dmytro Kuleba held almost two-hour-long fruitful talks with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, and held separate meetings with Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the President of the African Union Assembly, Azali Asoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros.
Concerning the stated afore bilateral talks, Dmytro Kuleba commended the achievements of Dr. Abiy Ahmed in restoring peace and developing Ethiopia. The sides saw many opportunities to boost the Ukrainian-Ethiopian relations. In particular, the Prime-Minister of Ethiopia agreed on the following areas to be developed at the bilateral Ethiopian-Ukrainian track:
- pharmaceuticals production,
- Ukrainian agricultural technologies to be imported to Ethiopia,
- cooperation in the sphere of the agricultural products processing,
- Ethiopian youth study in Ukrainian higher education institutions.
The main results of this visit were the agreements between the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and the Ethiopian leader to establish a bilateral trade commission aimed at promoting bilateral trade and B2B contacts activities, the implementation of mutually beneficial projects in the field of high technology, digitalisation of public services, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural business.
The intergovernmental Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of digital transformation between the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the National ID Program of Ethiopia was signed on May 29, 2023.
As of today, the successful implementation of the activities listed above demonstrates positive dynamics in Ukraine’s cooperation on the abovementioned tracks – with Ethiopia and the African Union.
We see many opportunities to further boost Ukrainian-Ethiopian relations with local documentary filmmakers, the Embassy systematically organises free screenings of Ukrainian films in Addis Ababa for Ethiopian audience about the burden of the Russian-Ukrainian war on our people. This work was reinforced by several tours of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to many African countries in 2022, 2023 and this period, as well as the diplomatic mission’s everyday system promotion of the humanitarian initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy “Grain from Ukraine”.
“Grain from Ukraine” is a humanitarian food programme launched by the President of Ukraine on 26 November 2022 and presented during the first inaugural International Food Security Summit in Kyiv. As a result of the Summit, the Grain from Ukraine programme has accumulated support in the amount of about USD 220 million. The amount of the contribution and the number of donor countries are not final. It is planned to increase the contributions of individual countries, as well as to attract new countries and enterprises to participate in the initiative. In cooperation with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Ukraine and the programme’s partner countries identify recipient countries for Ukrainian grain from among those countries facing acute food shortages. More than 30 countries and international organisations have joined the Grain from Ukraine programme.
Since the initiative’s beginning, Ukraine, with the participation of WFP, has sent more than 170,000 tonnes of wheat to countries with the most difficult food situations, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, and Kenya. The programme is planned to be expanded to Mozambique/Malawi, Madagascar, Djibouti, Liberia, Mauritania, Lebanon, and other countries. Under the programme, it is planned to send about 60 ships with grain to the poorest countries in Africa.
Emphasising the importance and the efforts of Ukrainian diplomats – my colleagues in Africa, the thesis of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine corresponds with it that Russia has long been systematically investing in Africa – but little strokes fell great oaks, and Ukraine will definitely demonstrate this.
Regarding the local politicians’ position on the Russo-Ukrainian war, – the principle of non-interference into the affairs of foreign countries is the core of the African Union’s foreign policy, for Ethiopia as well. At the same time, the consistent work of our diplomatic missions in Africa has determined the position of African political elites in this war, which is the need for Russia to respect the UN Charter. As a practical example of this, – the official Addis Ababa didn’t any object to the Joint Statement from the Chair of the African Union, President Macky Sall and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, on the situation in Ukraine of February 24, 2022, where their extreme concern at the very serious and dangerous situation created in Ukraine was expressed as well as a “call on the Russian Federation and any other regional or international actor to respect international law imperatively, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”.
To sum up, I would like to conclude with essential quotes from the address of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the occasion of Africa Day and the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its successor, the African Union (AU), which was broadcasted to the whole world from the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa on May 25, 2023:
Ukrainians are a nation that fights for justice, against oppression, and against human rights violations. Supporting Ukraine is not about being pro-Western or anti-Western. It is about respecting the UN Charter, international law and order, as well as the right of every nation to choose its own peaceful path of development […] We are hearing calls for peace from various countries and leaders. We support them as such and think they need to be directed first and foremost to Russia as the country that started this war. […] No other nation in the world wants peace more than Ukraine. But we know that real peace needs to be just and sustainable. We are open to discussing any peace initiative if it respects two principles: it does not suggest territorial concessions and does not lead to a frozen conflict instead of peace. […] Ukraine has a clear plan in this regard. It is called Ukraine’s Peace Formula. This war is happening on Ukraine’s soil, so we consider it natural that a Ukrainian peace plan should be at the core of the peace effort […] Our united voice should be strong in all international fora and within international organisations. And if they need to be reformed for that, including the UN Security Council, then we need to do so. We call for a more representative and democratic Security Council in which Africa, like all other world regions, will be represented. Ukraine also supports the idea of the African Union becoming a permanent member of the G20.
The Minister’s call was loud and clear, and it became a prophecy: almost four months later, in September 2023, the African Union officially joined the G20 Group, becoming a permanent member of this powerful intergovernmental association.
It shall definitely also work with Ukraine’s Peace Formula, – the goal is set by the Head of State with a ready plan in November 2024 to hold the Second Global Peace Summit and to engage Russia to participate in it. Ukraine invites all African countries to join the implementation of this Formula. Otherwise, what has been unfolding since 24 February 2022 before our eyes in Ukraine determines the world in which African countries will live.
Dr. Oleksandr Zub, Charge d’Affaires of Ukraine in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
