Addis Abeba– Ethiopia and Somalia have begun technical negotiations on implementing the Ankara Declaration, with the first round of discussions taking place in Ankara, Türkiye.
Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Daud Aweis, wrote on X on 17 February 2025 that he had arrived in Ankara to join Somalia’s delegation for the talks, which aim to “explore ways to implement the Ankara Declaration.” He added that Somalia remains committed to “fostering peace, strengthening cooperation, and building diplomatic relations” based on mutual understanding and respect.
The negotiations follow a meeting between Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timotheos, and Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Burhanettin Duran, on 6 February 2025. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two sides “exchanged views on the technical aspects” of the agreement. It added that Gedion “expressed Ethiopia’s commitment to the full implementation” of the deal and thanked Türkiye for facilitating the tripartite agreement.
The Ankara Declaration, signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, reaffirmed “respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity.” The agreement recognized the “potentially diverse benefits” of Ethiopia gaining “assured access to and from the sea” while emphasizing “respect for the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.” It also stated that the leaders had agreed “to forgo and leave behind differences and contentious issues.”
The declaration outlines a four-month timeframe for technical negotiations on Ethiopia’s sea access. Ethiopia and Somalia agreed “to closely work together to finalize mutually advantageous commercial arrangements” under Somalia’s sovereign authority.
The agreement came after tensions escalated in early 2024 when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s independence—an agreement Somalia called an “infringement on Somalia’s territorial sovereignty.”
Following the Ankara Declaration, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud traveled to Ethiopia on 11 January 2025, where he and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to restore full diplomatic ties.
In a joint communiqué, the two leaders pledged to “enhance their bilateral relations through full diplomatic representation” and directed their diplomatic missions to “closely cooperate on matters of mutual interest.” They also emphasized the need for “strong cooperation” on regional stability. AS
