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KINGSTON, Jamaica– Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, the grandson of the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, who is currently on the island as a special guest for National Heritage week, has expressed gratitude to the Government of Jamaica for the invitation.
The Prince, who was welcomed into the Senate’s chambers during its sitting on Friday as part of official engagements for his week-long visit, said it was a special privilege to be in the House, noting that it is a room he only witnessed on video during his grandfather’s address to the nation in 1966.
“I feel such a part of that history, and I’m especially delighted that I have been invited to Jamaica by the Government. Thank Minister Grange and all who worked hard to make my visit possible.”
“Jamaica is a vibrant democracy. Democracies evolve, and the Jamaican experiment of different people, one nation is something that will resonate in any nation — and this is a challenge that Africa can learn from,” he said.
The Prince, president of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, arrived on the island Thursday night and was accompanied to the Upper House by Minister of Culture Olivia Grange, Speaker of the House of Representatives Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, and members of his delegation.
In making a statement, Deputy President of the Senate Aubyn Hill said he was also pleased to be in the Senate “to see our visiting guest, the Prince, addressing us in Parliament as his grandfather did so amazingly historically well…We welcome you and your delegation. We are pleased to have you in Jamaica. We have a very long and strong tie with Ethiopia, and we wish your country as you wished ours well,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Peter Bunting said the People’s National Party (PNP). They also welcomed the Ethiopian Prince to Jamaica.
“We recognize our powerful historical and cultural ties with your country and, more broadly, with the continent of Africa. We hope you will… continue to have good relations with the Government and people of Jamaica,” he said.
The Prince’s other official engagements include Monday’s National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House – the Governor General’s official residence and the interfaith National Heritage Day Church Service.
He is also scheduled to visit the National Gallery, the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica, and Liberty Hall. He is due to attend a reception hosted by the Honorary Consul of Ethiopia in Jamaica, Yodit Hylton. In addition, he will receive the Keys to the City of Montego Bay during a civic ceremony.
Prince Selassie’s previous visit to Jamaica was in 2016.
This year’s Heritage Week is being observed under the theme ‘Re-igniting Greatness through our Heritage.’
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