Preparations for meetings of high-ranking officials from Somalia and Ethiopia have started today in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.
These discussions are about implementing the Ankara agreement reached between the two countries, which aims to resolve the maritime dispute.
Reports have it that ongoing talks are specifically centered on Ethiopia’s request to utilize the waters of Somalia, having the prior approval from the Federal Government of Somalia, for an explicit commercial shipping route.
Somali Minister of Information Daud Aweys, who is part of the technical delegation dispatched to Ankara by the Somali government, argued that this round of talks is for the implementation of prior agreements reached during negotiations held in Ankara.
“I am part of the Somali delegation that has come to Ankara to participate in the first stage of the technical talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, aimed towards the implementation of the Ankara agreement,” explained Daud Aweys.
He added, “Somalia wants to build peace, foster collaboration, and establish diplomatic relations that are characterized by mutual consideration and respect.”
These talks are supplement the meeting between Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, where the two leaders agreed to resume discussions about the waters between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Somalia and Ethiopia have closed in on each other with two country-level talks taking place face to face in Addis Ababa and Mogadishu on government level.