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Political relations

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) recognized the Czech Republic officially on the day of its birth on January 1st, 1993.

In May the Government of the new Czech Republic revoked the decision of the previous federal Government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic from 1992 on closure of the Embassy in Addis Ababa (at that time the Embassy was headed by Chargé d'Affaires ad interim). Unfortunately, similar revaluation on closure of the Ethiopian Embassy in Prague did not take place.

Pursuant to the Protocol on Co-operation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs (dated June 23, 1989) and with the aim to take up the tradition of long lasting friendly relations of our Nations and redefine current relations between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Czech Republic the then Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel BRATINKA MSc held consultations with his Ethiopian counterpart in Addis Ababa in April 1995.

A year later, renowned scholar of Amharic and the author of Amharic Dictionary H.E. Mr. Zdeněk POLÁČEK PhD. became historically the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic when he handed over His Credentials to H.E. Dr. NEGASSO Gigada, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on April 18, 1996.

A year after, H.E. W/ro MENBERE Alemayehu became the first non-resident Ambassador of the FRDE to the Czech Republic, based in Vienna (Austria).

In connection with, once again, successfully developing mutual relations, H.E. Mrs. Helena BAMBASOVÁ, the then Deputy Foreign Minister came to Addis Ababa to hold the next round of inter-ministerial consultations in June 1997. Another round of consultations, attended this time by H.E. Dr. TEKEDA Alemu, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, took place in Prague in 1998.

The Agreement on Succession into Bilateral Agreements between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Czech Republic has been signed in Addis Ababa) in October 2000. Next consultations between the two Foreign Ministries took place during the visit of the than Deputy Foreign Minister H.E. Hynek KMONÍČEK PhD in Addis Ababa in March 2001. During the negotiations a new Protocol on Co-operation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic has been signed (on March 14, 2003).

The new Ambassador of the Czech Republic H.E. Miroslav KŘENEK MSc handed over his Letters of Credence to Dr. NEGASSO Gigada, President of the FDRE on January 28, 2002.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Dr. Pavel VOŠALÍK held ministerial consultations with his counterpart in Addis Ababa on March 14, 2003.

The new non-resident Ambassador of the FDRE H.E. Ato HIRUYI Amanuel, based in Berlin (Germany), handed over his Letters of Credence to the President of the CR on April 15, 2003.

In connection with preparations by the Czech Republic to its accession to the European Union and hence the need to harmonize all its existing bilateral Treaties and Agreements with the Communitary Laws of the European Union, the " Agreement on Termination of the Trade Agreement concluded between the Government of the Temporary Military Government of the Socialist Ethiopia and the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic signed in Addis Ababa on November 9, 1976 " has been singed between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Czech Republic on June 17, 2003.

The first ever visit by parliamentary delegation - of the Senate Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions of the Czech Republic - to the FDRE took place in April 2004.

The Government of the FDRE granted its agrément to Mr. Zdeněk DOBIÁŠ, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic on August 29, 2005. He than handed over his Letters of Credence to H.E. Ato GIRMA Woldegiorgis, President of the FDRE on December 19, 2005.

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the EFDR Ato KASSAHUN Ayele based in Berlin (Germany) started his mission in May 2006.

The first (but in the history of mutual relations of the two Nations already the sixth) official State visit by H.E. Prof. Václav KLAUS, President of the Czech Republic to Ethiopia on invitation of H.E. Ato GIRMA Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has been prepared for December 2006. Because of time constraint (president Klaus succeeded to visit during his African tour Nigeria and South Africa only), the visit has been postponed indefinitely.

Official state visit of the High Ministerial Delegation of the Czech Republic headed by Mr. Jiří ČUNEK, I. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development of the CR, accompanied by Vlasta PARKANOVÁ (Mrs.), Minister of Defence of the CR, Džamila STEHLÍKOVÁ (Mrs.), Minister of the Government of the CR, Mr. Jaroslav BAŠTA, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the CR and Mr. Martin TLAPA, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the CR. During the visit the Convention on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion in respect of the Income Tax between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Czech Republic has been signed on July 26, 2007.

In April 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia SEYOUM Mesfin visited the Czech Republic. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan KOHOUT rendered a reciprocal visit to Ethiopia in March 2010.

In December 2009, ambassador Marek LIBŘICKÝ presented his credentials to the president of Ethiopia Girma Woldegiorgis. Ethiopian ambassador to the Czech Republic (residing in Berlin) FESSEHA Asghedom took his office in June 2011.