Ethiopia is keen to secure its legitimate interest of having reliable access to and from the sea in a peaceful manner, Minister of Foreign Affairs TayeAtske-Selassie said, following the conclusion of the second round of talks with Somalia.
In a joint press meeting with his Turkish and Somali counterparts, Foreign Minister, TayeAtske-Selassie disclosed that the Türkiye-mediated two-day-long deliberations between Ethiopia and Somalia in Ankara was concluded on Tuesday.
During the press conference, Taye expressed sincere gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye for taking the initiative to find remedies for differences between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu.
Taye also stressed Ethiopia’s legitimate interest and peaceful manner to secure dependable access to and from the sea.
He noted that Ethiopia has endeavored to de-escalate tensions and resume relations in the region.
“We look forward to have continued engagement that will ultimately help us resolve current differences and restore normal relations. We are indeed cognizant that great things could be decided through continuous engagement.”
Therefore, it is incumbent among the parties to stay positively engaged, look ahead beyond the current situation, Taye said, adding that Ethiopia looks forward for a more fruitful upcoming third round of talks with Somalia.
Recommending Türkiye’s commitment to fostering peace and stability in the region, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi expressed that progress was made in the second round discussion.
“As we prepared for the third round talks, we are hopeful that the momentum we have built will lead to a final solution,” he said.
He also reiterated his government’s commitment to achieving peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.
Ethiopia struck a deal with Somaliland on January 1st this year to use its Red Sea port of Berbera. The Horn of Africa nation lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991, it was learnt.
