Thousands of Ethiopian community members from the Washington, DC area gathered at the Capital Hilton on Sunday, June 14, 1998 to discuss the recent Eritrean aggression against Ethiopia. The meeting was organized by the "Ande Ethiopia" Association, an Amharic radio broadcasting association based in Washington, DC. It featured Dr. Tekeda Alemu, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Christos, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the United States as guest speakers.

During the exciting meeting, Ethiopians from all political persuasions and backgrounds freely discussed the current political situation in the country and the implications of the recent surprise aggression by Eritrean armed forces in various border areas.

The Vice-Minister and the Ambassador briefed the participants about the current situation, and discussed the root causes of the aggression and steps taken by the government to rebuff the military aggression and civilian attacks to fully defend the sovereignty of the country, as well as to protect the lives of civilians living in the area.

Following the ground-breaking discussion, the participants issued a declaration affirming their staunch commitment to defend their country and compatriots against such unwarranted aggression. The statement also expressed the citizens' readiness to contribute in any and every way to the ongoing national effort to defend the country and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Vice-Minister thanked the organizers and the participants for their unified support for Ethiopia and the government's efforts.

The Embassy also encourages all Ethiopians, including those residing in other cities and countries, to follow suit and continue to present a unified front against aggression.