On 24 October 2015, the Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels will host a celebration of the 8th National Flag Day and the first celebration of the Diaspora Day in the Benelux countries.
The members of the Ethiopian national diaspora and Benelux citizens of Ethiopian origin have been invited to take part in this colorful event. During the celebration, the National Flag of Ethiopia will be raised. In addition, the current socio-economic situation of the country as well as the participation of the Ethiopian diaspora in the national economic development will be discussed. Traditional Ethiopian food and drinks will be served to the participants, who will have the opportunity to dance with traditional Ethiopian music.
For more than a decade, Ethiopia has been one of the fastest-growing country in Africa. This exceptional economic development is set to continue during the next years, and the World Bank forecasts Ethiopia will be the fastest-growing country in the world in 2016. Several sectors like agro-processing and manufacturing have been gaining a considerable importance in the country’s economy, while several flagship projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, road construction and railway projects in the capital and throughout the country have attracted worldwide attention.
Ethiopia is also identified as one of the major investment destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa due to high growth potential of business, cheap and trainable labor, cheap electricity, incentives provided to investors and a stable political and institutional framework. Big multinational companies and equity financing firms like Diageo, Unilever, GE, Heineken, Duet, Vasari and many others have invested in Ethiopia in the past years. Furthermore, the country is visited by more and more tourists due to its unique geographical, historical and cultural heritage.
The UNESCO has recognized 9 of those heritages, more than any other country in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015 Ethiopia was awarded the World Best Tourist Destination by the European Council on Tourism and Trade. As stable country in a troubled region, Ethiopia has also been recognized as a solid international partner in the move to combat terrorism, and is generously contributing to several international peace-keeping force missions.
For more information
Embassy of Ethiopia to the Benelux countries and the EU / H. E. Ambassador Teshome Chanaka:
