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Ahead of crucial talks with Somalia on Monday in Ankara, Ethiopia's prime minister said he is seeking sea access in a "mutually agreeable approach."
Following a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is mediating between the two sides, Abiy Ahmed said he appreciates the Turkish leader's effort in finding a breakthrough.
"PM Abiy expressed appreciation for President Erdogan's support in facilitating a resolution to the misunderstanding b/n Ethiopia & Somalia," said Ahmed's office in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
"He emphasized the importance of providing Ethiopia, a nation of 120mil people, with access to the sea in a mutually agreeable approach."
Erdogan's office has also commented on the phone call, confirming the two leaders discussed the Somalia and Ethiopia dispute in addition to touching on bilateral, regional and international issues.
The Turkish leader hinted he wants Ethiopia to affirm respect for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"Underscoring that Türkiye (Turkey's preferred rendering of the country's name) continues its efforts aimed at ending the tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, President Erdoğan noted that steps to be taken by Ethiopia that would eliminate Somalia's concerns regarding its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity will facilitate the process," the Turkish president's office posted on X.
In a similar phone call with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, Erdogan said he voiced his expectations of "concrete results in the second round of the negotiations."
On his side, President Mohamud said Somalia is ready to "engage in economic and development cooperation with Ethiopia."
"Such partnerships must always respect Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and adhere to international law and norms," Mohamud said.
The dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia ignited on January 1 when the president of the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, and Ethiopia's prime minister, signed a "historic" memorandum of understanding. Under the MOU, Somaliland officials said they would lease 20 kilometers of coastline for 50 years to Ethiopia in return for diplomatic recognition of its independence.
The Somali government has strongly rejected the deal and accused Ethiopia of violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Both Ethiopia and Somaliland defended the deal as "mutually beneficial."
After a visit to Addis Ababa on August 3, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan announced Friday that a second round of talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, originally scheduled for September 2, has been brought forward to August 12.
Somalia's minister of foreign Affairs, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, who is leading his country's delegation, arrived in Ankara on Sunday for Monday's meeting.
The first round of talks in Ankara on July 1, where delegations from the two countries did not hold face-to-face meetings, ended without a breakthrough.