By Kwanta Douglas
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Monday that the country’s overseas embassies will be reduced by half.
Ahmed said in a briefing to Ethiopian MPs that the number of embassies and consulates in other countries will be decreased from roughly 60 to around 30.
“The Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to be reformed. Ethiopia shouldn’t have 60 or so embassies and consulates presently,’’ he said.
“Instead of spending U.S. dollars all over the place, in the next sixth months to one year period, at least 30 embassies should be closed and the ambassadors instead should be here,’’ Ahmed said.
To raise Ethiopia’s visibility and international position, the government is recruiting a vast pool of young potential diplomats and tapping into the overseas Ethiopian population, according to the prime minister.
(Xinhua)