Ethiopia Says Elevation of Sea Access Agenda to Prominent International Discussion

Ethiomonitor -Addis Ababa 

October  7, 2025

Ethiopian President Taye Atseke Selassie said on Monday that the issue of access to sea ports has gained significant traction in international discussions..
“The issue of secure and sustainable sea port access has reached a critical juncture,” said the president during his remarks at the joint session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of Federation, emphasizing that the future of Ethiopia is closely linked with the Nile River and the Red Sea—two important waterways from which the nation has been excluded in an “injustice and exclusionary manner, without public consultation.”
President Selassie noted that this issue has become a subject of debate in the international arena.
He attributed its growing acceptance to Ethiopia’s presentation of its case in a “fair manner.”
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that his country will “correct” the “mistake” it made over the past three decades when it lost access to Eritrea’s Assab Port.
The Prime Minister has also indicated that access to the Red Sea is important for economic growth, naval expansion, and influence in the region.
“We had access to the Red Sea some 30 years ago. That presence was recent, just yesterday in historical terms,” Ahmed said in a televised interview, adding that “the cost of reclaiming this access would be significantly less than the sacrifices made for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project.”