Ethiopia, Somalia Leaders Engage in Phone Call With Qatar's Emir On 'Shared Regional and International Interests'

13 June 2024
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — In a phone call on 12 June Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the leader of Qatar, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, discussed ways to support and enhance the existing cooperative relations between the two countries across various fields.

During the call, the two leaders "discussed the most prominent regional and international developments of common concern."

Similarly Qatar's leader held a phone conversation with Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, the President of Somalia, focusing on bilateral relations between the two countries and strategies to strengthen them. They "discussed the latest developments in Somalia, and several regional and international issues of common concern," according to Qatar's readout of the phone call to the two leaders in Addis Abeba and Mogadishu.

This come in the backdrop of souring diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somalia in recent months following the signing on 01 January of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland, granting Ethiopia access to the sea for a leased military base in return for recognition for Somaliland.

Qatar was one of the first stops President Hassan Sheikh made in his attempt to rally Arab countries to denounce the MoU when he visited Doha and met with Amir Sheikh Tamim on 23 January.

Ethiopia has also upped its relations with Qatar with renewed talks in military cooperation. In March Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, met with Ethiopia's senior defense officials led by former Defense Minister Abraham and General Abebaw Tadesse, Deputy Chief of General Staff of Ethiopian armed forces, and discussed bolstering military relations between the two countries.

Highlighting Qatar's diplomatic importance, earlier this week, Ethiopia's Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, was in Doha to deliver a message from Prime Minister Abiy to the Emir of Qatar. The contents of the message were not disclosed.

PM Abiy and Amir Sheikh Tamim met in person in March 2023 and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest.

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