Borama (SD) -The Somaliland government has responded for the first time to recent statements from Ethiopia regarding its desire to access the port of Zeila in Somaliland.

Somaliland has taken a firm stance against Ethiopia’s interest in the port of Zeila, asserting that Ethiopia wants to take a piece of their coastline, and, as such, they reject Abiy’s statement, insisting that it lacks any basis.

The Minister of Commerce and International Investment of Somaliland, Mahmoud Hassan Saajin, speaking on the matter, in Borama recently also stressed that the only thing Somaliland would consider regarding Ethiopia’s proposal is a mutually beneficial economic agreement.

He stated that this is the only agenda that Somaliland is open to, even though he pointed out that Ethiopia’s desire for access to the coast is contradictory to its earlier commitment regarding the Berbera port deal.

Saajin also emphasized that Somaliland is ready to engage in any economic exchange, but the most crucial factor is that this issue should be based on mutual consent. He underlined that Somaliland is well-prepared to engage in economic exchanges, but the important thing is that the matter should be based on mutual agreement.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali had called for a discussion on the matter, indicating the possibility of a conflict over access to the sea, and he urged efforts to prevent a confrontation in the region. However, the Federal Government of Somalia had previously also rejected Ethiopia’s request to access the sea via Zeila.