ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome has called on 12 newly appointed ambassadors, including Ethiopian Ambassador to China, to boost the east African country's position in bilateral and multilateral standings.
The president, in his farewell message to Brhane Gebrekirstos, the newly appointed Ethiopian Ambassador to China, and 11 others ambassadors in overseas late on Sunday, has stressed the need to further enhance Ethiopia's position in bilateral and multilateral relations and scale up its standing in regional, continental and global spheres.
Gebrekristos, who was recently served as a foreign mission special envoy to the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn following his position as a Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister from 2010 to 2015, has been appointed by the president as Ethiopia's ambassador to China last week.
Noting that Ethiopia has managed to become one of the world's fastest economies together with a leading role in promoting regional and global peace and security, the president further urged the ambassadors to exploit these opportunities in their endeavor to ascertain Ethiopia's national interest.
Teshome also affirmed that the ambassadors are entrusted with responsibilities of maximizing Ethiopia's economic diplomacy pursuits.
Workneh Gebeyehu, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who noted the successful experience of the newly appointed ambassadors in various high-level positions and greater responsibilities in their previous assignments in public offices, also expressed his expectations that they would effectively implement their diplomatic mission.
Gebrekirstos was previously Ethiopia's ambassador to the European Union and the Benelux from 2002 to 2010 and Ambassador to the United States from 1992 to 2002. He will replace Seyuom Mesfin, who served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to China for the last 6 years.
