LONDON – Ethiopia will host the 4th World Coffee Conference together with the 116th Session of the International Coffee Council in Addis Ababa in March 2016. Ethiopia entered the bidding process, hoping to bring the Conference to the African continent for the first time.
Ethiopian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, H.E. Berhanu Kebede, said “the ICO has reached a very historic decision – the 4th World Coffee Conference is going to be held in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia – where coffee originated – on the African continent.”
“Today the ICO has another reason to celebrate, it should celebrate the wisdom of its member countries for continuing the tradition of consensus in the decision to hold the 4th World Coffee conference in Addis Ababa,” the Ambassador said.
He went on to thank the Africa group and the Inter-Africa Coffee Organisation (IACO) “for speaking with one voice to support Ethiopia’s candidature, despite the fact that Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya were among those interested in hosting the conference.”
He added “I also deeply appreciate Colombia’s action, in taking the lead at the 112th conference, to withdraw its candidature, in the spirit of giving the opportunity to those that have not had a chance to host the conference before.”
“I thank the producing countries group, led by Brazil, for showing unwavering support for the spirit of consensus and for the case of Ethiopia, and I thank those that have clearly shown their support to us.”
The Ambassador said that there had been “a qualitative type of consensus brought about between a producing country and an importing country – Ethiopia and Italy”, and he thanked the Italian delegation for the decision it had reached to give the turn to Africa and to Ethiopia. The Ambassador noted “the partnership of our fraternal countries has been further consolidated by this decision.”
The Ambassador thanked Mr Roberio Silva and all the staff at the Coffee Secretariat for the professional and candid support that was rendered to the Ethiopian delegation. Finally he thanked Mr Jawaid Akhtar, the chairman of the Coffee Board of India, “for his able leadership in steering us through this decision.”
The Ambassador said: “Ethiopia welcomes the Coffee family in the ICO to their original home of coffee and I assure you that the 4th World Coffee Conference will be a memorable and a successful one.”
Source: Ethiopian Embassy Press Release London
