Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday reiterated his pledge not to invade neighbouring nations over the Red Sea but insisted that his government would not abandon its demand for port access. Abiy's remarks last month about the Red Sea raised regional concerns, particularly as tensions emerged with neighbouring Eritrea, which has a long coastline. In a televised speech on October 13, Abiy said that landlocked Ethiopia "is a nation whose existence is tied to the Red Sea", a key waterway for global trade. "With a growing economy and population, lack of access to (the) sea would remain a major problem for us," he said. On Tuesday, Abiy said: "We have no intention of breaching others' sovereignty, but we ask just discussion (about) access to sea".

Source: Ethiopian News November 14, 2023 20:55 UTC