19 Jul 2010

“Ethiopia is a priority country as regards Italian cooperation. For Ethiopia, just as for all the other countries in the area, the development of energy infrastructures is an absolute priority. This explains the role played by Italy in this sector: it  aims at making a contribution towards the development of a region to which we have always paid particular attention.” This was the reply given by Stefania Craxi, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in answer to the parliamentary question on Ethiopia presented by On. Federica Mogherini.
The undersecretary was also very clear in confirming that,  “as regards the specific question relating to the construction of the Gibe III dam in Ethiopia, the subject of the parliamentary question, we can confirm the existence of a request from the Ethiopian Government to the Italian Government, for an aid loan of 250 million euros for the co-financing of the project. At the moment the Italian Government has not formulated a resolution in answer to the request. The necessary research into the initiative as regards its feasibility on a technical, socio-environmental, financial and legal level is currently underway.
In more general terms, it is necessary to remind members that it is possible to grant loans to HIPC countries (i.e. the poorest and most-indebted countries) provided that they have reached certain economic and financial parameters laid down by the International Monetary Fund and have obtained debt cancellation. Ethiopia satisfies these criteria.
As regards the Gilbel Gibe II plant, Italian cooperation granted a loan of 220 million to partially cover the construction costs of this hydro-electric power station in Ethiopia. In addition to the Italian loan, funds were also provided by the Ethiopian Government and other international donors, including the European Investment Bank. The loan was the subject of an intergovernmental agreement between Italy and Ethiopia.
Lastly, the interpellation mentioned the Nile Basin initiative and the possible repercussions of the Ethiopian dams affair on this regional organisation which brings together all the riverside states in order to encourage a cooperative approach in the management of water. I would like to remind members that Italy has taken part in some bilateral measures aimed at favouring the achievement of a multilateral agreement recognised by all, since the negotiations on the subject have suffered a setback.
Minister Frattini has pressed the European Union on the matter and has received assurance about its involvement from the EU’s high representative for foreign policy, Ms Ashton. It is worth pointing out that neither of the two dams mentioned in the interpellation actually have an effect on the Nile Water Basin: the rivers Gilgel Gibe and Gibe, where the two structures are located, are actually tributaries of the River Omo, which flows southwards into Lake Turkana, which has no effluent rivers.