Selected Speeches Of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I
REPLY TO CZECHOSLOVAK PRESIDENT
We are deeply grateful for having been the guest of the esteemed President and his wife as well as of the leading representatives of the Czechoslovak Government. We are specially gratified, to extend to you, Mr. President, and through you to the Czechoslovak people our gratitude for the cordial and friendly reception accorded us throughout our stay in this hospitable country.
Our stay in this friendly country has enabled us to become acquainted with several aspects of the life of this country, to appreciate your endeavours in the field of social welfare, of education and the growing importance of your economic development. We found them encouraging and instructive. The visits we made to your industrial towns which enjoy a great reputation throughout the world, filled us with admiration since we realized the obstacles the Czechoslovak Republic had to overcome after the Second World War.
On many occasions we heard of the diligence of the Czechoslovak people and we verified these words during our short stay in this country.
Even though Ethiopia and Czechoslovakia have different systems of government, both countries have several things in common. For many long years both had to fight for the preservation of their independence - very dear to them. Not long ago though both had to rebuke the attack by fascist forces. Both of our countries, placing their trust in the system of Collective Security, had appealed to the League of Nations to stop the aggression launched against them. To satisfy insatiable fascism, the freedom of Ethiopia was sacrificed, while in Europe Czechoslovakia was placed at the mercy of military expansion. At the time when the League of Nations applied sanctions against the fascist invaders in Ethiopia, Czechoslovakia and Rumania were among those countries which fully observed the sanctions.
However, even at the time of defeat our two countries, without abandoning hope and submitting to the enemy occupation, again fought for their independence.
In the post war period both our countries, which have adopted the principles of the United Nations Charter, and the conferences in Bandung and Accra, have worked untiringly for the preservation of world peace and for the freedom of all oppressed nations. Even though Ethiopia and Czechoslovakia have different systems of government both our countries, abiding by the principle of the United Nations Charter and the declarations signed in Bandung and Accra, co-operate in the economic, social and cultural fields.
On this occasion we wish to express our thanks to the Czechoslovak Government for granting credits for purchase of medical equipment and for the releasing of medical personnel for our hospitals.
We are convinced that the firm ties of friendship binding our two countries will be a foundation for the development of closer economic and fruitful co-operation, making possible the utilization of our natural and industrial resources. We are also convinced that this friendship will serve the development of mutual co-operation also in the diplomatic and cultural fields. We firmly believe that our visit will serve to further strengthen the ties of friendship which exist between our two countries.
July 16, 1959.
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Emperor Haile Sellassie First Theocracy Reign
Order of the Nyahbinghi
January 11, 2017