HE. Alemante Agidew, State Minister of Ministry of Justice held a bilateral discussion with HE. Hans Henric Lundquist, Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia and Djibouti; Permanent Representative to AU, IGAD and UNECA. The discussion centered on potential collaboration and cooperation regarding Ethiopia’s National Legal Aid Strategy.
During the meeting, H.E. Alemante Agidew welcomed Ambassador Lundquist, expressing appreciation for the longstanding relationship between the two countries. HE discussed the possibility of coordinating the collaboration, aiming at gathering valuable insights and experiences to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of free legal aid initiatives.
Recognizing Sweden’s expertise in legal aid, criminal justice, social inclusion, and gender equality, both parties discussed potential areas for collaboration. Topics of interest for the collaboration included the Legal Framework for Legal Aid Implementation, Case Assignment, and Case Flow Management. The MoJ is planning an experience exchange in Sweden that is funded by the European Union
Ambassador Lundquist, on the other hand, expressed interest in supporting this collaboration with Sweden highlighting the importance of sharing best practices and experiences. He emphasized the potential for collaboration in areas such as criminal justice, law enforcement, judicial cooperation, human rights advocacy, and cybersecurity with the Swedish Ministry of Justice and other relevant institutions.
The Technical Assistance Unit (TAU) Support to the Criminal Justice Reform in Ethiopia Programme Funded by the European Union and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) International Services led consortium with DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance was also part of the discussions and will support in facilitating the experiences exchange.
The visit by Ambassador Lundquist demonstrates the strength of the friendship between the two countries, and both sides eagerly anticipate the positive impact of this collaboration on the community.
Both Parties have agreed to explore other potential collaboration areas as outlined in future expert-level engagements and discussions.
