France Supports Ethiopia’s Quest for Sea Access through Discussion

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country supports Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea through discussion and respecting international laws and neighboring countries. Macron spoke on Saturday after a one-day visit to Addis Ababa, where he held bilateral talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. During a news conference, Macron welcomed the Ankara Declaration reached by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia on Dec. 11…In the declaration, brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the principles enshrined in international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.” The two sides also agreed to start “technical negotiations” by February on details of Ethiopia’s sea access, and that those negotiations would be facilitated by Turkey and be “concluded and signed” within four months. (VOA)