Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took his country’s discussions on access to the Red Sea to a new dimension and offered his neighbors a share of the Hedasi Dam and Ethiopian Airlines.
In his speech in the Parliament, Prime Minister Ahmed said that conspiracy theories were made up regarding his comments regarding access to the Red Sea, that his country wanted to reach the sea on the basis of common benefit and that it would not use aggressive means.
Reminding that 30 years ago they had a population of 47 million and two ports, Ahmed stated that today they have come to a position where they benefit from those ports outside their borders only through trade agreements.
Ahmed said, “If Ethiopia’s access to Djibouti Port is restricted, access to fuel, fertilizer and other vital products will become difficult. This will negatively affect all economic activities in the country. That is why we are looking for alternatives.” said.
Stating that not being able to access the sea is an obstacle to establishing a sufficient economy and that is why they emigrated, Ahmed offered his neighbors the Hedasi Dam in exchange for a port or a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s largest airline companies.
Emphasizing that they have no intention of threatening the sovereignty of any country, Ahmed stated that they want to start the discussion on the path to a sustainable solution.
Ahmed’s previous similar statements had led to the reaction of his neighbors Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti.
Ethiopia, which lost its port with the secession of Eritrea in the early 1990s, fought many wars for access to the sea during the imperial period.
Currently, the country conducts nearly 90 percent of its foreign trade through ports in neighboring countries.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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