The delegation was very much satisfied by the friendliness of the Ethiopian people as well as by the rapid economic growth the nation is registering, a statement from the Netherlands Embassy in Ethiopia quoted Henk Jan Ormel as saying.

The nine-member delegation fully recognizes the substantial contribution that the Government of the Netherlands is offering to Ethiopia toward alleviating poverty, according to the statement.

The delegation held discussions with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin, Speaker of Ethiopian Parliament, Teshome Toga, MPs, African Union Commission Chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare, and with members of the business community during the course of the visitation.

The delegation also paid visit to Somali regional state and held talks with the chief of the regional government, Abdullah Hassen and representatives of humanitarian agencies operating in the region.

The visitation enabled the delegation to witness on going efforts geared toward realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Ethiopia particularly in the health, education, anti HIV/AIDS, and other sectors, according to the statement.

T-12:24-12:55 P.M

E- 2:42-3:07 pm

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