VOA标准英语2010年-Ethiopian Leader says 'Rough Stretch'

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, 25 May 2010

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says bilateral¹ ties with the United States are on the mend after months of tensions.  Mr. Meles promised a wholesale² government reshuffle due in October will include a restructuring of Ethiopia's diplomatic missions.

 

The Ethiopian leader told reporters Wednesday that what he called 'a rough stretch' in relations with Washington appears to be over.

"I think the rather difficult stretch we have had in the past six-seven months is by and large behind us now," he said. "There are issues on which the officials in the United States feel strongly and differently, and there are issues on which we feel strongly and differently from those of the United States.  We will agree to disagree on those we do not agree on, and we agree to work together on issues of common interest."

Bilateral ties reached a low ebb³ last May, around the time of Ethiopia's parliamentary elections. No U.S. observer groups were present, and American embassy personnel were barred from visiting voting stations or traveling outside Addis Ababa on election day.

The White House responded with a strong statement. It said the elections had fallen short of international commitments, and criticized the Ethiopian government for failing to create an environment conducive⁴ to free and fair elections.

The relationship appeared to improve after a visit to Addis Ababa last month by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson.

Prime Minister Meles Wednesday defended his decision not to appoint an ambassador to Washington. The post has been vacant since last year when the previous envoy⁵ was called home.

Mr. Meles said a new ambassador would be named soon during a wholesale government reorganization.

"We are going to establish a new government in October and there is going to be a comprehensive reshuffle of individuals and so we felt it didn't make sense to appoint full time ambassadors a few months before a complete reorganization of the government," he said.

Mr. Meles said the reshuffle would include closing some foreign diplomatic missions and opening others, reflecting Ethiopia's shifting alliances. He said the embassy in Stockholm would be the first to close.

"There is no development cooperation program of any substance between us and Sweden," he said. "There is no major trading relationship between us and Sweden, and no significant investment coming from Sweden to Ethiopia. At the same time we don't have an embassy in Brazil. Brazil is a huge emerging country, and so we are now reassessing our diplomatic presence globally and the first to go was Sweden because it was not worthwhile to have an embassy there."

Mr. Meles also said Ethiopia's latest five-year economic plan envisions an end to the country's dependence⁶ on food aid. The plan unveiled last week predicts economic growth of between 11 and 14 percent a year.

"Our hope and expectation is that over the next five years we'll produce enough not only to feed ourselves but to be able to export," he said.

Ethiopia remains⁷ one of the world's poorest countries, and one of the largest foreign aid recipients⁸. One in 10 Ethiopians receives emergency food aid.

Mr. Meles's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front was easily returned to power in the May elections, winning all but two of the 547 seats in parliament.
 

1 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 ebb   

vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态

参考例句：

• The flood and ebb tides alternates with each other.涨潮和落潮交替更迭。
• They swam till the tide began to ebb.他们一直游到开始退潮。

4 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》