Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the Legislative Elections in Ethiopia
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, May 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, issued the following statement today:
“The legislative elections in Ethiopia were an important moment in the democratic process in the
country. I welcome the peaceful conduct of the elections and I congratulate the Ethiopian voters for
showing their commitment to this process with a high turnout.
The European Union has a long and close relationship with Ethiopia. The deployment of an
European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) is a further contribution to support
democracy in Ethiopia. I thank our Chief Observer Mr. Thijs Berman and his team for their excellent
work and commitment.
The European Union recognizes the challenging environment in which these elections took place and
calls upon all political actors in Ethiopia to seize the opportunity to address the problems
encountered, to commit to further strengthening democracy in Ethiopia. The EU stands ready to work
with Ethiopia to address these challenges and to further deepen our relations with the government
and the peoples of Ethiopia.”
SOURCE
European Council
