World : Malaysian Embassy Receives Ethiopian Delegation Ahead Of Enkutatash

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Embassy in Addis Ababa hosted a delegation from Ethiopia on Tuesday for a courtesy visit, symbolizing the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations as they lead up to Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year. The embassy disclosed in a statement to Bernama that the delegation was made up of officials from various Ethiopian ministries, such as Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Culture and Sports, and the Ethiopian News Agency.

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

Speaking to the media, Malaysia's Chargé d'Affaires Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar expressed gratitude to the delegation for their gesture and wished Ethiopians both at home and abroad for a peaceful and prosperous Enkutatash 2019. He highlighted that the visit showcased the friendship that has developed between the two countries over the past year.

During the courtesy call, the Ethiopian delegation performed cultural acts, including singing Abebayehosh, drumming on kebero, and presenting the yellow Adey Abeba flower, while dressed in traditional Habesha kemis. In return, the embassy presented the delegation with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony and anababero, as well as Malaysian specialties like kuih kasturi and pulut kuning serunding.

The yellow color of the pulut kuning was chosen to mirror the significance of the Adey Abeba flower in the New Year's celebration of renewal.

This visit occurred approximately one year after Malaysia's first diplomatic team arrived in Addis Ababa to reopen the embassy, marking a year of increasing bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, takes place on September 11 according to the Ethiopian calendar, which consists of 13 months and is roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. This year's celebration marks the beginning of the Ethiopian year 2019.