Addis Ababa — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the celebration of Demera is the symbol of Ethiopians coming together for realizing the new heights of our country.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed conveyed best wishes and message today to Ethiopians for the commemoration of Meskel.

Demera is the lighting of a bonfire where the people come together to ignite fire to the bundle of branches, sticks and torches on the Eve of the feast of Meskel.

It is an annual religious holiday celebrated among the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians to commemorate the discovery of the True Cross upon which Jesus was crucified.

The premier said Demera is our symbol of coming together to realize the height of our country.

The different sticks, branches and torches are added together to build Demera, Abiy said, making parallels with various cultures, faiths, resources, value systems, diverse views and history which constitute Ethiopia.

The prime minister noted that all of us are not required of adhering to identical views, or identifying ourselves with same identities and languages.

Just like Demera, if we bring all these assets together, they will provide strength primarily to every local areas and in totality, we will build strong nation, the premier pointed out.

The pole which unifies and supports the branches and torches of the Demera is symbolic to the federal system which we establish one economic and political community, he said.

"This is our multinational unity, our Ethiopianism, by so doing, we can build prosperous and strong nation common to us," the premier underlined.