Malaysian Embassy Receives Ethiopian Delegation Ahead Of Enkutatash

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- The Embassy of Malaysia in Addis Ababa received a high-level Ethiopian delegation on Tuesday for a courtesy visit, reflecting the positive bilateral engagement between the two countries ahead of Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year.

The embassy, in a statement to Bernama, said the delegation comprised representatives from various Ethiopian ministries, which include Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Culture and Sport, as well as the Ethiopian News Agency.

Representing the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Amha Hailegeorgis conveyed the Ethiopian Government's New Year greetings to the Malaysian mission.

"The visit reflects the mutual respect that continues to underpin relations between the two countries," he said.

Malaysia's Chargé d'Affaires Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar thanked the delegation for the gesture and extended his wishes to Ethiopians at home and abroad for a peaceful and prosperous Ethiopian New Year 2019.

He described the visit as a reflection of the friendship built between the two nations over the past year.

According to the statement, the courtesy call also featured an exchange of cultural traditions. The Ethiopian delegation presented Abebayehosh singing, kebero drum performances, and the yellow Adey Abeba flower, with performers dressed in traditional Habesha kemis.

The embassy reciprocated with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony and freshly made anababero, alongside Malaysian dishes including kuih kasturi and pulut kuning serunding.

The yellow hue of the pulut kuning was chosen to echo the Adey Abeba flower, in keeping with the New Year's themes of renewal, the statement added.

The statement said, the visit came almost exactly a year after Malaysia's first diplomatic team arrived in Addis Ababa to reopen the embassy, marking a year of growing bilateral engagement between the two countries.

Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, falls on Sept 11 under the Ethiopian calendar, which has 13 months and runs roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

This year's celebration marks the start of the Ethiopian year 2019.

-- BERNAMA