It was a colorful evening for the Ethiopians who gathered in thousands at the community hall of the Consulate General here Thursday to celebrate the country's 19th National Day. Men, women and children besides several diplomats were present to mark the occasion that has coincided with a peaceful general election in the country bringing back the ruling government to power. The Consul General, Ambassador Tekleab Kebede, recalled the long-stretched struggle and hardship that heralded democratic power in 1991. He took the occasion to remember the hundreds of Ethiopians who sacrificed their lives to bring the country on to the path of democracy, thus self-respectability in the comity of the world. He commended Ethiopian expatriates in the Kingdom for earning a good name in sectors such as health, education, finance, and services. They have acted as a human bridge between the two countries by fostering friendly and cordial ties, he said.?He called his compatriots in Saudi Arabia as diplomats of Ethiopia. Elaborating on the deep-rooted links between the Kingdom and his country, Consul General Kebede said that Ethiopia was one of the first countries to give recognition to the Kingdom when it was established under the leadership of King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud in 1932.? He made a passionate appeal to the Saudi business community to invest in Ethiopia as the country is “one of the fastest growing countries in the world.” Earlier, the function began with the National Anthem of the country followed by a two-minute silence in the memory of the martyrs. Later the Consul General Kebede led his diplomats to cut the cake to mark the occasion.
