...all in due time...

The Ethiopian delegation in Canada for the Canada Africa Summit met last week, on Monday (September 15), with senior management officials of the Allana Potash Corp. in Toronto. KassaTekle-Berhan, Speaker of Ethiopia's House of Federation; Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy; Tolasa Shagi, Minister of Mines; Fitsum Arega, Director General of the Ethiopian Investment Agency; and the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Canada, Ambassador Birtukan Ayano held talks with Mr. Farhad Abasov, President and CEO of Allana Potash; and Nejib Abbabiya and Peter Maclean, Senior Vice-Presidents.

Speaker Kassa told the Allana officials that "hard work, sheer determination and the will of the people" helped the nation make headway in economic, social and political developments. He emphasized that the country was committed to sustain this momentum for the betterment of the lives of the people.

Ethiopia, he said, was determined to responsibly develop its natural resources aiming at transforming the economy and achieving a middle income status by 2025. He also noted that Allana Potash's presence and its activities in Ethiopia were a central element in the pragmatic cooperative partnership that existed between Ethiopia and Canada.

Farhad Abasov, who welcomed the delegation and expressed his thanks for the role of the Government and people of Ethiopia in his company's successful potash project, noted that Ethiopia had produced steady economic growth and political stability. Its positive developments and tangible results were testimony to the Government's forward-looking approach, and he stressed Allana Potash was ready to be part of this success story. Mr. Abasov briefed the delegation on the benefits for the soon to be built potash mine for the local community in the Afar Region, and said the mine, which expects to produce a million tones a year, would be in operation for 25 years. It would, he said, make a tremendous contribution towards improving the lives of the local community