Italian, EU delegations arrive for talks

High-level Italian and European Union (EU) delegations have arrived in Addis Ababa for a visit to Ethiopia and Eritrea to discuss bilateral and regional issues, AFP reported on Tuesday. The teams are led by the Italian state secretary for foreign affairs, Senator Alfredo Mantica, and the EU representative in the Horn of Africa, Rino Serri. Mantica, who met Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday, is also due to meet Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. Serri, for his part, was scheduled to meet EU officials, representatives of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Meles and Seyoum, AFP said. Reporting on the talks, the official Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) on Wednesday said Mantica told Prime Minister Meles that last week’s statement by the Italian vice-minister of culture that the Aksum Obelisk would not be returned to Ethiopia was his personal view and not that of the Italian government. Mantica said efforts launched by the two countries for the safe return of the obelisk, taken from the northern town of Aksum in 1937 at the orders of Benito Mussolini, would be further consolidated. Mantica also expressed Italy’s desire to support economic development and poverty reduction programmes in Ethiopia. He said the existence of good governance, a free market economy, peace and justice would be at the top of Italy’s requirements for a sound and sustainable partnership with Ethiopia. Mantica’s remarks followed a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation, ENA said. Quoting western diplomats, AFP said Addis Ababa was seeking Rome’s assistance to battle food insecurity, mechanise agriculture and develop the country’s infrastructure.