Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has expressed his thanks to the Director of the UK-based Book-Link charity, Irene Beard, during a meeting in Addis Ababa on 14th December.

In the last two years, the Book-Link charity has provided more than 450,000 books – worth 10 million Birr – on various subjects which have proved to be invaluable to teachers and students at primary, secondary and higher education levels.

Mrs Beard pledged to continue to support Ethiopia’s Education Sector Development Programme, and expressed her hope to send a further 150,000-200,000 more books in the coming year.

She also discussed the work of the think-tank created in the UK to promote a positive image of the country, of which the well known journalist, Jonathan Dimbleby, and the former UK Ambassador to Ethiopia, Myles Wickstead, are members.

“Gone are the days when Ethiopia was known as a country of famine and drought,” she said. “Tourism is one of the ways to help reduce poverty, and members of the think-tank will work to change the image of Ethiopia for the better.”

Mrs Beard also revealed plans for UK actress Maureen Lipman and well-known photographer Fritz Von der Schulenburg to visit Ethiopia next year to document and write articles on the classical sights of the country that are visited by tourists.

Genet Zewdie, the Minister of Education, praised Mrs Beard and her husband, the renowned Imperial College Professor, Richard Beard, for using their personal initiative and for playing significant roles in promoting Ethiopia. Professor Beard is working in conjunction with six institutes of higher learning to improve the medical education curriculum of schools in the country.

ENDS