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Viewing cable 10ADDISABABA298, ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT HOSTS DIASPORA INVESTMENT FORUM

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10ADDISABABA298 2010-02-13 07:42 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Addis Ababa
VZCZCXRO0772
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHDS #0298/02 0440742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130742Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7768
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000298 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JWIEGERT; AF/EPS - ABREITER AND GMALLORY; 
EEB/IFD/OMA - JWINKLER AND EEB/CBA - DWINSTEAD; EEB/TPP/BTA 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USTR FOR PATRICK COLEMAN, BARBARA GRYNIEWWICZ 
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA MARIA RIVERO 
DEPT OF TREASURY FOR REBECCA KLEIN 
USAID FOR AFR/EA - HELLYER, DALTON, AFR/SD - CURTIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ETRD ECON EFIN BEXP AF ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT HOSTS DIASPORA INVESTMENT FORUM 
 
*********************** 
* Missing Section 001 * 
*********************** 
 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000298  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
to allow for substantive interaction on important topics and serious 
incubation of specific business deals.  Participants could have 
submitted questions well before the conference so that the 
government decision makers could respond with detailed clarification 
to points raised.  Attendees also expressed frustration to CommSpec 
about the lack of results from previous diaspora forums and 
expectations of the same from this year's forum.  They believed the 
investment climate had not improved in recent years in response to 
questions and issues raised in past years.  One attendee complained 
that the event was just a government publicity stunt.  During this 
forum, the diaspora expressed to one another concerns regarding 
frequent power interruptions, poor telecom services, difficulty in 
opening letters of credit with banks, and congested traffic due to 
poor road quality and road networks. 
 
FOREIGN MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS DIASPORA ACHIEVEMENTS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
5. (U) Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin closed the forum, praising the 
diaspora for its contributions to Ethiopia.  He said 19,000 diaspora 
are engaged in various investment activities and have invested USD 
1.35 billion in capital.  Seyoum went on to say that these projects 
created 80,000 jobs for Ethiopians and that the diaspora have shown 
increasing commitment and partnership for the development and 
well-being of Ethiopia.  He specifically thanked the diaspora for 
its contributions in technology transfer, training of local labor 
force, and humanitarian assistance in the health sector.  Seyoum 
reminded the audience that the diaspora have been given the extra 
privilege of engaging in various sectors reserved for only Ethiopian 
nationals and called on them to challenge the bureaucracy they might 
face in their day-to-day business dealings. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6. (SBU) The organization of such fora should be applauded, however, 
the organizers could have made the event a successful one by 
engaging the diaspora well in advance to identify issues to be 
addressed and to encourage a high turnout.  It appears that funding 
for this forum was not used wisely and the event lost some 
credibility with its presentation selection.  Notably, the Ethiopian 
Investment Agency (EIA) did not present and it is the lead agency 
responsible for attracting investment to Ethiopia.    Moreover, 
inserting a presentation on the elections by the NEBE seemed overtly 
political and proved divisive as 30 to 40 people walked out during 
this presentation in apparent protest.  Such poorly planned events 
with political overtures will only serve to push some diaspora 
investors away from a country desperate for additional investment. 
END COMMENT. 
 
YATES