Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid a working visit to Europe from 30 – 31 October, which saw him in France and Germany. However, the highlight of the visit was on 31 October in Frankfurt, where more than 15,000 Ethiopians from all over Europe braved the cold for the Prime Minister's first address to the Diaspora in Europe.

On 1st November, the Parliament appointed Meaza Ashenafi, one of Ethiopia's most seasoned lawyers and a prominent women rights activist, as the country's first female Supreme Court President. This follows the appointment of the country's first female president and a gender-balanced Cabinet.

In yet another historic move, and just days after PM Abiy named a new gender-balanced Cabinet, Ambassador Sahle-Work Zewde has been appointed as the fourth President of Ethiopia, replacing Dr. Mulatu Teshome. The decision was made by a unanimous vote during a special joint session of Ethiopia's parliament.

On 16th October, more than 200 delegates comprising members of parliament, analystts, investors, the media and others, gathered in London for the UK-Ethiopia Trade and Investment Forum, aimed at boosting bilateral trade between Ethiopia and the United Kingdom.

The Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund official website www.ethiopiatrustfund.org is now live and taking donations, as of October 22. The Advisory Council urges all interested in advancing freedom, democracy, human rights and good governance, and the EDTF to make their USD$1 contributions.

As part of ongoing reforms taking place in the country, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed named a new Cabinet on 16th October, with half the posts being taken by women – a historic first for Ethiopia, and Africa in general. The cabinet reshuffle saw the number of ministerial positions reduced from 28 to 20.

Addis Fine Art presented a solo exhibition by Ethiopian Artist, Addis Gezehagn, for the 2018 edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, which took place between 4th and 7th October at Somerset House, London. [caption id="attachment_4494" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Addis Gezehagn, Floating City X, 2018, Acrylic on Canvas, 146 x 222 cm. Courtesy Addis Fine Art [/caption] The solo exhibition…

Catch up on the latest updates from Ethiopia and the mission in London in our monthly newsletter. This issue covers a range of issues including the inauguration of Africa's first Waste-to-Energy facility and details of Prime Minister Abiy's European visit.