Horn of Africa rivals Somalia and Ethiopia are set to resume talks in Ankara on Monday, according to Turkey’s foreign ministry.
The discussions, originally scheduled for September 2, have been moved up.
The goal of the talks is to explore how Ethiopia can access international waters through Somalia while respecting Somalia’s territorial integrity.
This comes after Eritrea’s secession in 1991 left Ethiopia landlocked.
The first meeting between the foreign ministers of the two nations occurred in Ankara on July 1, with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as the mediator.
Fidan visited Ethiopia on August 3 and has since been in contact with Somali leaders.
The participants of Monday’s talks are not yet known.
The Turkish ministry emphasized that the discussions will address “the needs, worries, and approaches” of both countries.
Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland in January, which gave it sea access but recognized Somaliland’s independence, sparked new tensions with Somalia.
Despite March’s agreement to resolve conflicts, indirect negotiations have yet to yield results, and regional tensions remain high.
