CORNERSTONE OF THE ASSAB PORT
We have chosen to come here today for the
ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the construction of Our Port of
Assab, not only in order to inspect the beginning of what is to be a great
technical achievement, but also to commemorate a significant moment in the
history of Modern Ethiopia, combining as it does progress in modernity with
antiquity of tradition.
No Ethiopian of this or of future
generations, can afford to forget the disadvantages under which Our country
suffered in the days when we had no access to the sea. It has, therefore, long
been the desire of Ethiopia to see her ports restored to the Motherland. In order
to secure an outlet to the sea on these shores, We entered in 1928 into an
agreement with the Government of Italy, but the agreement remained unhonoured,
with no default on Our part.
God has ordained that this desire of
Ethiopia be fulfilled during Our reign, and has crowned with success Our
efforts to secure the re-integration of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which We
undertook as soon as We, by the help of the Almighty, had returned to Our
homeland and had completed the work of re-establishing and reorganizing Our
Government under Our personal guidance and direction. For this Our gratitude to
God is unbounded.
The trials and hardships to which Ethiopia
had been subject in the days when she had no free outlet to the sea, qualify
her in a special sense to appreciate the great importance of having a seaport
of her own.
In laying the foundation stone of the Port of Assab, this historic
gateway to the sea, connecting Our land with the oceans of the world, We are
today opening for all the peoples of Our Empire a door to prosperity and good
fortune of which they can be justly proud.
This
port, connecting Ethiopia with the pulsating artery of world commerce, joins
her in ties of trade with the shores of her friends and neighbours, and also
brings her into free contact with the continents of the world. We stand on the
renowned Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, through which pass, perhaps more ships than
through any other stretch of water on our globe. Ethiopia, here in Assab,
stands sentinel to aid and assist the vast number of vessels which carry the
life-blood of world commerce. She must therefore be fully conscious of her
responsibility to work hard for the development of her ports.
This
uniquely strategic port of Ethiopia, after the trials and vicissitudes of
nearly a century when it languished unattended and cut off from its motherland,
has now been restored to her, and Ethiopia, in full realization of her high
responsibility, has undertaken the great task of transforming Assab, into that
outlet for Ethiopia’s sea-born products, which, by virtue of its unparalleled
position on the trade routes of the world, it has so long deserved, and indeed
demanded.
At
the very instant of the long awaited return of Assab and Massawa, now five
years ago, We declared:
In
order to utilize to the maximum the resources of the two ports of Massawa and
Assab, We have given orders that an ambitious programme of rehabilitation and
improvement of the installations at Massawa and Assab should be undertaken.
Moreover – and this has taken place well ahead of the date of the Federation of
Eritrea with Ethiopia – We have already commenced important works for the
repair and improvement of the roads linking these two ports with Eritrea and
Ethiopia.
The
first part of the ambitious programme has already been, under Our own direction,
largely accomplished. Although the challenge of the work that is yet to be
undertaken demands immense effort, We must not forget that much has already
been achieved here, all of which may not be apparent to the casual visitor.
The
more than 26 millions of Ethiopian Dollars which We are expending for the high
engineering and technical exploits involved in the development programme of the
Port of Assab, constitute already a direct and permanent investment in the future
of the Port for which We today lay the foundation stone. This in itself is
sufficient guarantee for the unhindered development of the port to meet the
rapid expansion of Ethiopia’s economy which has characterized Our reign.
The
expenditure of large sums of money and thousands of hours of engineering skill
and re-examination by experts in engineering, in marine construction, in
finance, in commerce, and, finally, many weeks of careful study and re-assesment
by Ourselves of all the work that has been undertaken at Our command, have
taken place in order to make possible this historic moment.
Following these careful studies, and after mature reflection
on all aspects made by Our ends, the great and noble people of Yugoslavia, most
advantageous to us in comparison with other similar proposals, both in terms of
engineering genius and of financial facilities, We have accordingly, chosen to
entrust this vastly significant task of constructing the port of Assab, to the
Yugoslav people.
We
would not let this auspicious occasion pass without Our expressing to His
Excellency Marshal Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia, Our thanks for the
assistance he has rendered in bringing to fruition this co-operative venture,
which shall always remain a symbol of our mutual friendship.
We are fully confident that the Port of Assab will respond
fully to its high destiny and that a great future awaits to bless this
undertaking.
It is essential, as We stated five years ago, that
Massawa also be fully developed. The resources of Ethiopia, both present and
potential, are manifestly adequate to permit the three ports of Massawa, Assab
and Djibouti, to thrive together without rivalry in a spirit of collaboration
and co-operation.
In thus providing the means for the continued growth
of Ethiopia’s foreign trade, We have looked not only to the benefit of one
particular region, but also to the welfare and prosperity of Ethiopia as a
whole.
At the moment of the return to Ethiopia of Our loyal
subjects along the Red Sea coast, We declared: “We will provide, by all
possible means, for the welfare of the population of Eritrea.”
This
promise We have always maintained and fulfilled in various practical ways.
Since
God gives us to enjoy only those fruits which we cultivate with toil and
sacrifice, We call upon all Our beloved subjects, in a spirit of national
dedication, by their labours and devotion, to ensure that this Port, now to
spring into existence, will prove worthy of its heritage and of its challenge.
May 10, 1958
Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie – page 555 –
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