Visiting Ethiopian prince hails Jamaica as a vibrant democracy Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Visiting President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, has hailed Jamaica as a vibrant democracy and a good example for other countries.

“Democracies evolve and the Jamaican experience of different people, one nation is something that will resonate in any nation, and this is the challenge we hope that Africa can learn from,” he said.

The prince, who is the grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I, arrived in Jamaica on Thursday, October 13. He is Jamaica’s special guest for National Heritage Week.

The prince said it is a special privilege for him to be in the room where his grandfather spoke several years ago.

“It’s a room I have witnessed on video only, during my grandfather’s address to the nation, so I feel a part of that history, and I am especially delighted that I have been invited to Jamaica by the Government,” he said.

He thanked Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, and all who worked to make his visit possible.

“I look forward to further exchanges, and I want to thank the people of Jamaica for having given me this opportunity, and of course, thank you for giving me this chance to speak,” he said in the Senate.

Deputy Leader of Government Business in the Senate and Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Aubyn Hill, welcomed the visiting delegation, noting that Jamaica and Ethiopia share very strong and long ties.

“I am very pleased to be here today to see our visiting guest addressing us in Parliament as his grandfather did so amazingly, historically well in 1966,” Hill said.

President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson (right), converses with President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, while taking the prince on a tour of the Houses of Parliament on Friday. Prince Ermias is Jamaica’s special guest for National Heritage Week. His wife, Princess Woizero Saba Kebede, is also the trip.

In welcoming the prince and his delegation, Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Peter Bunting, also noted the ties the nations share.

“We recognise the powerful, historical and cultural ties that we have with your country and, indeed, more broadly, with the continent of Africa. We hope that you will enjoy your visit, and that you will continue to have good relations with the Government and people of Jamaica,” he said.

Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson noted that he and Opposition Senator Lambert Brown were students at Jamaica College when Emperor Haile Selassie I visited the school in 1966.

“So, it holds special importance for us that you are here today,” Tavares-Finson told the prince.

Prior to his address in the Upper House, the prince met the president of the Senate, Senate members; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, and Clerk of the Houses of Parliament, Valrie Curtis.

The prince is accompanied on his trip to Jamaica by his wife, Princess Woizero Saba Kebede.

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