Ankara (UNA/QNA) – Somalia and Ethiopia have reached an agreement to put aside differences between the two countries under Turkish auspices, stressing that the two parties have agreed to set aside disputed issues and move forward with determination towards common prosperity.
The Ankara Declaration, issued after a joint press conference by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said that the two parties decided, with Turkey’s facilitation, to begin technical negotiations by the end of February 2025, and to reach a result within 4 months.
The Ankara declaration added that the two parties recognized the potential benefits that could be gained from Ethiopia's safe access to the sea, while respecting the territorial integrity of Somalia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia” had been taken.
Erdogan pointed out that the trust that Somalia and Ethiopia have given Turkey has resulted in reaching an important stage in the “Ankara Process” that began 8 months ago, adding, “We will take our steps with Somalia and Ethiopia together from now on, and we will work together to implement projects that will increase peace and prosperity for the peoples of the region.”
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have deteriorated since Ethiopia struck an agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland on January 2023, XNUMX, which gave Addis Ababa permission to use the region’s coasts on the Gulf of Aden for commercial and military purposes.
Somalia rejected Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland, describing it as “illegitimate, a threat to good neighborliness, and a violation of its sovereignty,” while the Ethiopian government defended the agreement, saying it “will not affect any party or country.”
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