By Aluta News
Oct. 6, 2021
Ethiopia aims to save 21.6 million U.S. dollars through reforming the country’s foreign ministry, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said on Wednesday.
Addressing Ethiopian parliamentarians, Ahmed said it would be during the current 2021/2022 Ethiopian Fiscal Year the reform of the east African country’s foreign ministry would take place.
The 2021/2022 Ethiopian Fiscal Year started on July 8.
He said, “We’re conducting a deep reform of the Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
“We are also working to save at least 1 billion Ethiopian Birr (about 21.6 million U.S. dollars) through this reform process in this fiscal year.”
He said his government planned to complement the work of MoFA with other activities being done by private citizens as well as government agencies.
“MoFA doesn’t conduct all affairs that connect Ethiopia with the outside world, there will be public diplomacy and diplomatic work to be done by the federal parliament.
“Also diplomatic work by the Ethiopian diaspora as well as diplomatic work that will be done by the PM.”
Ahmed in July disclosed that the east African country planned to cut the number of embassies it had in foreign countries by around half as part of reform of the diplomatic corps.
He said the number of embassies and consulates in foreign countries would be reduced from around 60 currently to around 30 embassies.
“Instead of spending U.S. dollars all over the place, in the next six months to one year period, at least 30 embassies should be closed and the ambassadors should be here,” he said.
Xinhua/NAN