The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Nebiat Getachew, said that the visit of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Mogadishu is “a clear indication of the improvement of the relationship between the two countries and the beginning of a new page in the relationship between the two countries.” It is the first visit of Abiy Ahmed to Somalia since Ankara announced on December 11 that the conflict between the two sides was resolved through the mediation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The overall development of the two countries is interconnected,” the spokesman said at a press conference held in Addis Ababa on Friday, stressing that “the security of Somalia directly affects the stability of Ethiopia. He revealed that the two countries have agreed to cooperate on strategic projects that benefit the people of both countries, and that Ethiopia will also participate in peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
“I appreciate the warm and brotherly welcome that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud gave to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Mogadishu,” the speaker continued.
The Government of Somalia last Thursday welcomed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Mogadishu and was part of the acceleration of the points that came out of the Ankara Conference so that the Government of Somalia would have access to the waters of Somalia.
After Abiy Ahmed’s visit, in an interview given to the media by the Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ali Balcad, he said that Ethiopia will not allow the waters next to the Red Sea, but instead he said that the ports through which its businesses pass will be given to the Somali Government.
