Ethiopia’s Foreign Relation’s Polices towards European Union

Ethiopian Civil Service University School of Diplomacy & International Relations (SDIR) Ethiopia’s Foreign Relation’s Polices towards European Union  Belayneh Zelelew December 2019

Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3  Ethiopia Foreign policy towards the European Union (EU) ......................................................................... 4  The 2019 draft Ethiopian foreign policy towards EU ................................................................................... 7  Economic cooperation .............................................................................................................................. 7  Migration and refugee ............................................................................................................................... 8  Peace and security ..................................................................................................................................... 8  Strengths and Weaknesses of 2002 (previous) and the new draft foreign policies ....................................... 8  Strengths ................................................................................................................................................... 8  Weakness .................................................................................................................................................. 9  Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................... 9  Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................. 10  Reference .................................................................................................................................................... 11  2   

Introduction The rapid emergence of new, powerful actors has transformed the context in which development occurs in Africa. China – deliberately or not – is changing the context in which the European Union (EU) engages with developing countries, making it one of the biggest external challenges to European development policy in Africa (Grimm and Hackenesch, 2012). Reforms in European development policy are transforming the region’s relations with African countries. Some observers maintain that these changes come with several paradoxes, and that many new practices have been layered on top of the old regime rather than replacing it (Fraser and Whitfield, 2009). Ethiopia has been a key partner for the European Union, with a long-standing partnership dating back over 40 years. In 2016, the EU and Ethiopia signed a “Strategic Engagement”, committing both sides to close cooperation in areas ranging from regional peace and security, to trade and investment, and including migration and forced displacement. Development assistance is the key instrument in European cooperation with Ethiopia. EU member states provide assistance bilaterally and multilaterally through the European development fund and the EU budget. Ethiopia is among the largest recipients of European aid in Africa and worldwide (European Commission, 2010). For Ethiopia, the EU as a whole (EC and EU member states) was the largest traditional donor in 2009, ahead of the United States and the World Bank, providing about 40 per cent of total aid: approximately 815 million USD. European countries offer very few other official financial flows to Ethiopia such as loans or export credits that go beyond official development assistance. Despite the EU being the largest donor in terms of aid volume, it is clearly not a single or coherent actor. By contrast, the European donor system in Ethiopia is highly fragmented and involves a wide range of public and private actors. According to OECD DAC statistics, Ethiopia receives assistance from 20 EU member states and the EC, even though aid volumes diverge greatly among European donors. The bulk of assistance is provided by ten European donors, with the UK and the EC accounting for the largest shares. To give a full picture of European assistance to Ethiopia, it is also important to mention the role of European NGOs that are very active in Ethiopia, some of them closely engaging with European donor agencies and implementing official assistance programmes (for example, Oxfam UK), others relying on 3   

private fundraising. European assistance is spread across a large variety of policy fields, ranging from support for infrastructure and agriculture to social sectors. Some donors – such as the UK and some Nordic countries – strongly focus their assistance on social sectors and support for governance reforms. The EC supports transport infrastructure as one of its focal areas. High levels of European aid and the presence of many European donors can be explained by various factors (for the following, see also Furtado and Smith 2009; Anonymous 8 2009; Anonymous 9 2010). Whereas Ethiopia historically received low levels of aid compared to other African countries, it became a natural partner for European donors with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) agenda and the new international consensus on development aid. In addition, European security interests in the Horn of Africa and European attempts to fight piracy there make Ethiopia an important strategic ally in the region. This paper tries to analyze Ethiopia’s Foreign Relation’s Polices towards European Union. This paper tries to analyze the former and the new draft Ethiopian foreign policies towards EU. Ethiopia Foreign policy towards the European Union (EU) Foreign policy is a set of principles of a government that defines its relations with other countries or groups of countries. States formulate foreign policy in order to attain their domestic policy and national interests. The current foreign policy of Ethiopia, namely “The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Foreign Affairs and National Security Policy and Strategy” was introduced in 2002. The foreign policy is designed to attain the national interest of the country i.e. peace, economic development and democracy. This foreign policy has been formulated based on the Federal Constitution of Ethiopia that states about the principle of external relations. According to 2002 the FDRE Foreign affairs and national security policy and strategy the EU has as its main objective, the establishment of peace and democracy. The development aid we receive from its member states, added to that coming from the EU (Commission) itself, places the EU as our largest source of aid. It is also the main destination for our products. As regards investment, although it is regrettable that the results are so far not encouraging, there is no doubt that the EU continues to be a huge source of investment opportunities for our country. Furthermore, this region remains to be a critical source of assistance for our development endeavor. At this time we do not see the EU as posing a security threat to Ethiopia. To the 4   

contrary, as the EU and its members have the objective of ensuring the respect of international law and the promotion of peace and democracy, we consider them as partners and sources of support in our effort in this area,(MoI,2002). The 2002 foreign policy of Ethiopian One main concern regarding Ethiopia relationship with Europe has to do with Ethiopia failure to make maximum use of the opportunities that the region offers. The policy admittedly, that Ethiopia have not done enough in terms of exploring sources of credit and aid to finance Ethiopia development plans and ensuring that the money thus obtained is properly used. More importantly, there has been some failure to gear Ethiopian relations with the EU toward expanding trade and investment in the country. The foreign policy explains that the main reason for this is Ethiopia poor image in Europe. Ethiopia is perceived as a country wracked by protracted war and poverty rather than a potential destination for investment and trade, and the efforts deployed to correct the image have not been adequate. Furthermore there has been little effectively planned work done in terms of creating an environment conducive to attracting investment. Ethiopian Foreign policy under 2002 document the approach and the orientation of Ethiopian foreign policy were redefine, see the EU represents one of the powerful agents shaping the rules governing globalization, there is likely to be a tendency to regard the EU as a source of the negative influences associated with the phenomenon. However, it is encouraging to see that the EU has recently agreed to allow poorer countries, including Ethiopia, free access to its market without any tariff and quota on entering goods. Nevertheless the subsidy the EU provides to its firms with which we would have to compete, and other practices relating to trade and investment, are having a negative effect on the development of the poor countries,(MoI,2002). With respect to bilateral relations, there are problems caused by attempts to impose options that contradict the political and economic strategies that we carefully designed to suit our context. The 2002 foreign policy show that the strengthening of Ethiopia relations with EU, and the maximization of the benefits Ethiopia could gain for our development and security, are predicated on the domestic work the Ethiopia carry out in Ethiopia. Important are the efforts we deploy to implement the development and democratization strategy Ethiopia has adopted. We should thus identify gaps in the resources needed to implement the development plan with a view 5   

to determining the kind of assistance the EU can provide to help fill the gap. Moreover, we should be prepared to engage in consultative meetings with EU member states and explain Ethiopia strategies. Given the fact that Ethiopia development strategies are based on democratic principles and are to be implemented within the framework of globalization, we do not expect them to be in conflict with the fundamental interests of European countries. It should also be Ethiopia policy to try and resolve differences through dialogue and mutual understanding in a manner that does not jeopardize or compromise our fundamental strategies and goals. The 2002 foreign policy one of the focus area is strive to acquire from European states credits and grants for the development and technical assistance required by Ethiopia initiatives, and work hard to ensure maximum and effective utilization of the resources secured. In due course, Ethiopia research, and study we should, find markets for Ethiopia products and export those that are in demand in Europe. Work along these lines will also require Ethiopia to establish and maintain close contact and cooperation with private investors, NGOs and states that are ready to contribute. Similarly, steps should be taken to establish through research the parties that can help our country in Ethiopian efforts to attract the type and amount of investment Ethiopia desire, and to work together with them in a more coordinated fashion. We need to work hard to change conditions within Ethiopia and cooperate with those that can help in changing the image of our country. Europe has a significant role to play in efforts aimed at ensuring peace, stability and democracy in our region. According to the 2002 foreign policy mansion that government-to-government relations are key in the overall relations, but Ethiopia cannot expect to get comprehensive benefits in the confines of state sectors. The greatest benefits come from trade and investment, and the key here is in the hands of the private business community. Ethiopia therefore needs to widen our focus to include the governments, the NGOs and the private sector. Ethiopia diplomacy in Europe should aim at involving and even coordinating all three sectors, based on detailed and continued research studies and analysis. Considering the EU as a union may be correct, but the role member states play are not the same. While we should work to maintain good ties with all EU members' states, we should focus on cultivating extensive ties with major countries, and those better disposed towards Ethiopia. 6   

Differences that could arise with Europe have to do with differing appreciations of the policies our country pursue to promote development and democracy in Ethiopia. Some policies may not be pleasing to European businessmen. Our policies should be drawn carefully and on the basis of detailed study. Should better options be identified, they should be pursued unreservedly. The policy mansion that Ethiopia should also be prepared to defend fundamental policy matters to which our country are deeply committed, and should try to resolve such differences in opinion by showing the significance and validity of the policy causing the EU is beginning to take some positive steps to mitigate the negative influences of globalization. By talking experience from 2002 foreign policy the new draft foreign policy tries to fill gaps, which is not filled by the 2002 policy. The 2019 draft Ethiopian foreign policy towards EU The foreign policy of Ethiopia has set various strategies in implementing the core objectives of the external relations. After the introduction of the foreign policy document in 2002, many international changes have been noticed. However, the foreign policy document was not revised until now (October 2019). Considering internal and external situations, foreign policy document should also be dynamic. The new draft foreign policy starts its introduction by mentioning, that Ethiopia has been a key partner for the European Union, with a long-standing partnership. The draft foreign policy mentions that, the number of countries in the European Union, which is mentioned as 28. The new draft foreign policy of Ethiopia towards EU categorized in different cooperation’s thematic areas like; economic cooperation, migration and refugees, peace and security the main focus areas of the new foreign policy towards EU. Economic cooperation Ethiopia is one of the leading development partners of the Union. Because of this and various co- operation agreements Ethiopia received various financial, material and technical support from EU. Hence, according to the National Strategic Programs the basis of the provisions of the Cooperation Agreement focused on various support for poverty reduction, emergency relief, credit reduction and foreign exchange financing, among others that the new draft policy gives priority to create cooperation with EU. 7   

In addition, the new draft foreign policy focus to maximize European market opportunities by increase exporting products by type, quality and quantity. Migration and refugee Migration, especially since illegal migration has been growing steadily around the globe, Cooperation between the transit and destination countries has become necessary. The issues of immigration and refugees becoming a major issue in the framework of relationships between Ethiopia and the European Union. In this regards, Ethiopia works to address the wide range of problems with the help of EU fund, which used to solve the problem through investment to implement viable projects and developed an industrial park to create employment opportunities for immigrants. Peace and security The draft foreign policy mansions that the European Union plays a helpful role and consultations to support the Ethiopian democratization process program (like Human Rights protection, Media and Press Freedom, and Civic society participation). In order to achieve these objectives consultations and discussions need to be strengthened. On the other hand, the country diplomacy to make the Horn of Africa a safe and secure environment through collective efforts to gain support and enable organizations to execute consultations and works initiated should continue to be strengthened. As whole, Ethiopia works hard to strengthen its multilateral relations and to develop into a strategic partnership with the EU. Strengths and Weaknesses of 2002 (previous) and the new draft foreign policies Strengths   The two foreign policies have strengths depend on the time and situation they formulated. From these strengths; both foreign polices making consider domestic and regional, global factors, The two foreign policy consider external factors that have strong impact on Ethiopia national interest such as political situation found in Horn Africa countries, in the continent(Africa)and international political system. The both foreign polices show that the strengthening of Ethiopia relations with EU, and the maximization of the benefits Ethiopia could gain for our development and security, are 8   

predicated on the domestic work the Ethiopia carry out in Ethiopia. One of the strongest parts of the new draft foreign policy clearly categorized areas of cooperation compare to the 2002(previous) foreign policy. The two foreign polices focused on Economic diplomacy that aims focused on diminish trade deficit, attract foreign investments as well as offer support domestic exports and investments abroad. Weakness The former (2002) foreign policy see Ethiopia relationship with Europe has to do with Ethiopia failure to make maximum use of the opportunities that the region offers. The policy admittedly, that Ethiopia have not done enough in terms of exploring sources of credit and aid to finance Ethiopia development plans and ensuring that the money thus obtained is properly used. More importantly, there has been some failure to gear Ethiopian relations with the EU toward expanding trade and investment in the country. And also, both foreign policy of the country also remain on the hand of strong mans who was the chairman of the ruling parties. The 2002(previous) foreign policy mainly focused on economic diplomacy but the new draft policy diversified areas of cooperation. The issue of gender is always important and should be considered. The Government of Ethiopia has gone far to balance the participation of women in the political sphere. Since the foreign policy is a reflection of domestic policy, this domestic policy and commitment can be reflected in the foreign policy. With respect to bilateral relations, there are problems caused by attempts to impose options that contradict the political and economic strategies that we carefully designed to suit Ethiopia context. Recommendations To bring sustainable cooperation and relation with EU,  To get EU genuine supports promoting our foreign policy through using different methods and knowing basic principles of EU foreign policy towards Ethiopia and Africa as whole. 9   

 The new draft foreign policy should make under consideration to use our long standing partnership to strength our ties with the European Union.  The draft foreign policy should focus on maximizing benefits/positive steps to mitigate the negative influences of EU (interfering in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, cultural and political influence). Thus, Ethiopia believe that there is a clear need on our part to make sure that member countries have a firm grasp of our interests and role in maintaining the security of the region. We need to consult on issues that crop up on different occasions, and ensure that we receive sustainable political and diplomatic support. Conclusions The current foreign policy of Ethiopia, namely “The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Foreign Affairs and National Security Policy and Strategy” was introduced in 2002. The Ethiopia is in a critical stage in reforming its Foreign policy. The foreign policy of Ethiopia has set various strategies in implementing the core objectives of the external relations. After the introduction of the foreign policy document in 2002, many international changes have been noticed. However, the foreign policy document was not revised until now. Ethiopia has been a key partner for the European Union, with a long-standing partnership dating back over 40 years. EU being the largest donor in terms of aid volume, it is clearly not a single or coherent actor. The new draft foreign policy of Ethiopia towards EU categorized in different cooperation’s thematic areas like; economic cooperation, migration and refugees, peace and security the main focus areas of the new foreign policy towards EU.   10   

Reference Anonymous 8 (2009), interview with a European diplomat, Addis Ababa, October. Anonymous 9 (2009), interview with a European diplomat, Addis Ababa, October. Grimm, Sven, and Christine Hackenesch (2012), European Engagement with Emerging Actors in Development: Forging New Partnerships, in: Sven Grimm, Stefan Gänzle, and Davina Makhan (eds), The European Union: Enlightened Superpower in the Making, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 211–228. Fraser, Alastair, and Lindsay Whitfield (2009), Understanding Contemporary Aid Relationships, in: Lindsay Whitfield (ed.), The Politics of Aid. African Strategies for Dealing with Donors, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 74–107. European Commission (2010), EU Donor Atlas, online: <www.develop ment.donoratlas.eu/home.html> (10 June 2011). Ministry of Information(MoI)(2002). The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Foreign Affairs and National Security policy and Stragegy, MoI,press& audiovisual department.79-82 11   

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