British funds for development programmes

Britain has earmarked over 360 million birr (about US $45 million) for development programmes in Ethiopia over the next three years, including 60 million birr (about US $7.5 million) for HIV/AIDS programmes this year, the ambassador to Ethiopia, Myles Wickstead, told the Ethiopia News Agency ENA) on Monday. The funds are to be used mainly for programmes on food security, health, education, and capacity building. This year Britain would make available over 132 million birr (about US $16.5m). ENA quoted Wickstead as saying that Britain was working closely with the Ethiopian government on developing a poverty reduction strategy paper to enable the country soon to address the adverse effects of poverty. "The Ethiopian government's recent move towards building a sound economic and political environment has encouraged Britain to step up its development assistance. After the signing of the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace agreement, all sorts of things are moving rapidly in the right direction," ENA quoted the envoy as saying. Wickstead hailed the Ethiopian government's fulfillment of promises to redirect its focus to development endeavors after signing the peace deal, saying the demobilization of soldiers and reallocation of the defense budget were clear demonstrations of commitment to economic transformation in the country. Ethiopia and Britain established diplomatic relations in 1896.