Ethiopia: Summit Calls On African Countries to Join Country in Millennium Celebrations

The Ethiopian Herald

The 8th African Union (AU) Summit has called upon African countries to join Ethiopia in celebrating the upcoming New Millennium, Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said.

Briefing journalists at the conclusion of the Summit Tuesday, Seyoum said that Africa has accepted the Ethiopian Millennium as an African one as well.


Ethiopia is the only country in the world that has not yet celebrated its millennium, Seyoum said, adding this unique event should be celebrated colourfully not only in Ethiopia but also across Africa.

The celebration of the Ethiopian Millennium would begin as of September 12, 2007.

The government has already established a Millennium Festival National Council Secretariat for the colourful celebration of the Millennium.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Millennium Festival National Council Secretariat said that the resolution adopted by the Summit to celebrate the Ethiopian Millennium as African Millennium is a great diplomatic and moral victory to all Ethiopians.

The Secretariat told ENA yesterday that the inclusion of the Ethiopian Millennium celebration as one of the Summit agenda indicates the attention the Summit paid to all Africans.

Ethiopia's calendar is among the national features that makes it unique among African countries, it said.

The fact that Addis is the second city of all Africans and the headquarters of the AU are among the reasons that give the Ethiopian Millennium an African face, the Secretariat added.

The fact that the decision was taken in the presence of several African Heads of State and Government, representatives of various international organizations, and the new UN Secretary General will add imputs for the colourful celebration of the Millennium.

Though other Africans and Europeans celebrated their millennium seven years back, the decision passed by the AU Summit to celebrate the Ethiopian Millennium as an African Millennium provided them as another opportunity to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The opportunity the millennium festival offers to promote the good images of Ethiopia would also favour Africa, it said.

The Secretariat said the Summit decision can be taken as a satisfactory response to the call made by the Secretariat to friends of Ethiopia across the world to name the period between September 2000 E.C and September 2001 E.C. (equivalent to Sept. 11, 2007 through September 11 , 2008) "Ethiopian Year."

According to the Secretariat, the decision of the Summit would strengthen the efforts Ethiopia is exerting for development, democratization and good governance as well as to promote its good images.

The decision passed by the African Heads of State and Government to make the Ethiopian Millennium an African Millennium is an indication of the value they attached with and their sense of ownership towards Ethiopian Millennium festival, the Secretariat added.