Following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, questions were raised during the first session of Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives regarding the status of the memorandum of understanding that Ethiopia signed with the self-declared republic. However, neither Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos nor his deputy, who were present at the session, responded to the questions about Somaliland.

The memorandum of understanding signed two years ago between Ethiopia and the self-declared republic of Somaliland was intended to give the landlocked country access to the sea, including the possibility of a leased military base along the coast. Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi said at the time that the agreement included a provision under which Ethiopia would recognise Somaliland as an independent country at a future date.

The move sparked a fierce diplomatic and military row with Somalia, which called the deal a violation of its sovereignty, raising international concerns about the risk of renewed conflict as the dispute drew in Ethiopia’s longtime rivals, Egypt and Eritrea. Somalia and Ethiopia have agreed on a joint declaration to resolve their dispute over Somaliland, with mediation by Turkey. Since then, Ethiopia’s recognition of Somaliland appears to have stalled.

Since the Ankara-mediated agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia, the agreement with Somaliland has remained largely dormant over the past year. Meanwhile, Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland. During today’s regular session of the House of Representatives, members of parliament referred to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty when raising questions. Abebaw Desale, the representative of the Amhara National Movement, remarked that Ethiopia was outrun by Israel in recognizing Somaliland and asked whether Ethiopia would become the “second country” to do so.

However, Foreign Minister Gideon Timothewos, who declined to answer parliamentarians’ questions directly, said Ethiopia maintains good relations with most of its neighboring countries. “We work together on most of the issues,” he added. Responding to questions on ports and access to the sea, the foreign minister said Ethiopia’s engagement with the Red Sea was strategically aligned with the country’s long-term interests and objectives.

He told members of parliament that Ethiopia had lost its access to the sea as a result of what he described as a long-planned and deliberate scheme. “A long-term perspective is needed to reverse and correct this situation,” Gideon said, stressing that the issue could not be resolved in the short term. He described the question of port access for both commercial and military purpose as “fair and appropriate”, adding that the debate had moved on to “how it should be implemented.”