On the occasion, H.E. Mr. Hiroyuki Kishino said that the equipment was procured for the Project for Operation and Maintenance of Trunk Road; Gohatsion to Dejen, based up on the grant agreement concluded between the two Governments on June 11, 2010. For this project, the Government of Japan extended 960 million Japanese Yen [at the current exchange rate value, about 203 million Ethiopian Birr] to procure road construction equipment needed for landslide countermeasures in the Abay Gorge. Excavators, bulldozers, motor graders, wheel loaders, compressors, dump trucks and a truck with crane are among the items purchased.

H.E. Mr. Ambassador went on to say that Ethiopia has been developing road transportation networks under the Road Sector Development Program (RSDP) since 1997. As part of this program, Japan played its role in the Rehabilitation of the Addis-Gohatsion-Dejen Trunk Road together with the construction of the New Abay Bridge by extending grants, amounting to 12 billion Japanese Yen [about 2.4 billion Ethiopian Birr]. This route is an arterial road which links the granary in the north-western part of the country to the markets in the rest of Ethiopia. This route also leads to Sudan and is crucial for the shipment of over 80 per cent of Ethiopia’s oil imports.

H.E. Mr. Ambassador also underlined that because of the difficult geographical conditions of the gorge with steep slopes, coupled with heavy rainfall during the rainy season, the Abay Gorge Zone has repeatedly suffered from landslides, slope failures and rock falls. From time to time, these disasters have disrupted the smooth traffic flow of this important trunk road in the gorge area. He, therefore, noted that this was the very reason that made Japan decide to support ERA to help clear the road whenever landslides occur as well as minimize the risk of landslides.

H.E. Mr. Kishino also referred to the current RSDP IV, as one of the pillars of the Growth and Transformation Plan, which aims to extend the existing road networks both at the federal and regional levels from the present 49,000 km to about 64,500 km in five years. This plan, however, seems very ambitious; it will require concerted efforts by the Ethiopian Government and its development partners. Japan’s engagement with the Ethiopian road transportation development will not remain where it was in the past. Japan is proactive. Last month Japan concluded two grant agreements with the Ethiopian Government for the road sector, in which a total of 5.359 billion Japanese Yen [1.135 billion Ethiopian Birr] was extended. The projects to which Japan has committed this time are for the replacement of the Awash Bridge on the A1 Trunk Road and the rehabilitation of the Trunk Road between Dejen and Lumame.

Finally, H.E. Mr. Kishino expressed that Japan, as a long standing supporter of the road sector in Ethiopia, will remain committed to assist the implementation of the RSDP IV and Japan will always be with Ethiopia.