Israel pledges to help Ethiopia overcome impacts of periodical drought

Addis Ababa, Dec. 24(ENA)--The Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia said his country would do its level best to help Ethiopia raise its capacity in resisting the recurrent drought by sharing its unique agricultural model.

"We would help Ethiopia by using our agricultural model...If drought will hit Ethiopia in two or three years again, Ethiopia and Ethiopians would be able to deal with it better and it will not have such a severe consequences as it does now," the ambassador said.

In an interview with ENA on Monday, Ambassador Doron M. Grossman said by sharing its agricultural expertise, the Israeli model would enable poor African countries like Ethiopia to achieve rapid development.

"Our model is not a model of big industrialized countries--it is rather a model that can help countries with very scarce natural resources develop very fast, that is why it is very popular among the African countries," he said.

Israel was looking forward in 2003 not only to continue but also to expand and enlarge the quality and quantity of its bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia especially in the area of agriculture, Grossman said.

The ambassador said the Israeli government was also under preparation to start a food security program as part of its aid package to drought-hit people in Ethiopia in a period of three weeks.

Regarding the know-how transfer, he said the government of Israel would promote the participation of Ethiopia in the international professional training and capacity building programs of MASHAV, the Israel Center for the International Cooperation.

Close to 300 Ethiopians participated in MASHAV programs during 2002 and that the number of Ethiopians who would get training would increase in 2003, Grossman said.

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