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03 May, 2007
Addis Ababa, May 02, 2007 (WIC) - Ethiopian missions and embassies are making preparations to organize events that would enable Ethiopians all over the world celebrate the millennium, Secretariat of the Ethiopian Millennium Festival National Council disclosed.
Deputy Director General of the Secretariat and Head of Communications and Diaspora Engagement Affairs, Mulugeta Asrate told WIC that diplomats in the 41 embassies, permanent missions, and consular and trade offices of Ethiopia across the world are also promoting Ethiopia’s investment opportunities and tourists attractions.
According to the Deputy Director General,10 Ethiopian embassies located in major parts of the world,like in London, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Sweden, Italy, India, Canada, Germany, Austria and Ireland are in constant touch with the secretariat with regards to their activities in connection with the millennium.
Among those, the Ethiopian Embassy in the UK has already formed a millennium board to host a festival for those who cannot attend the millennium celebrations in Addis Ababa as well as a program whereby Ethiopians in the UK would be able to invest in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Sweden on its part secured 40 wheelchairs in donation from the Swedish NGO Human Bridge for use to mobility impaired Ethiopians who would be coming to Ethiopia for the millennium. The wheelchairs would soon be handed over to Ethiopian Airlines, he added.
The Embassy in Germany is attempting to bring replicas of world renowned paintings to Ethiopia during the millennium alongside undertaking other activities, it was indicated.
Meanwhile, Mulugeta said the secretariat would publicize a detailed calendar of events on the millennium festivities in six weeks time, according to which one of the milestone events, the Seedlings Transplantation under the motto “2 for 2000” would be launched on June 5,2007 across the nation.
Another major event, New Year’s Celebration Extravaganza would be held on September 11,2007,the eve of the millennium, in public squares across the country with the major extravaganza to be held in Addis Ababa and transmitted live by Ethiopian Television to places all over the world where Ethiopians would get together to celebrate the millennium.
International cable networks like CNN, Sky and Aljazeera have also presented initial inquires to the secretariat to transmit the event live to the world, the Deputy Director General said, adding the secretariat has not yet made the decision whether to allow them or not as it has first to make sure that the transmissions would be in line with the interests of Ethiopia.