Ethiopia’s Pursuit of Access to Sea Stems from Desire to Equitable Economic Benefits, Shared Regional Security

Addis Ababa, October 10, 2025 (ENA) --Ethiopia's quest for access to the sea stems from the desire for equitable economic benefits and from shared security of the East Africa region, House of People's Representatives (HPR) Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Standing Committee Deputy Chairperson Fetih Mahdi said.

Speaking to ENA, the Deputy Chairperson said that Ethiopia is one of the forty-four landlocked countries in the world.

 But Ethiopia owned seaport --- although it lost it due to historical error, and the fact that it is located close to the sea with a large population makes it different from other landlocked countries, he elaborated.

 Since a large part of the global trade system is carried out by sea, the loss of sea access results in significant economic losses, the Deputy Chairperson stated, adding the lack of access to the sea has forced the country to pay high costs for transportation and logistics services for both import and export products.

 This in turn increases cost of living for citizens and reduces the competitiveness of domestic products, he said.

 Therefore, sea access is crucial toward ensuring fair access to the global economic system and  loss of access to the sea greatly hinders the overall development journey of countries.

 According to him, accessing the sea peacefully is a matter of survival for the growing economy of Ethiopia and its large population.

 Fetih underscored that Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea is reasonable and fair taking into account its huge population and economic growth.

He further argued that the demand is also based on mutual regional economic benefits of the region.

 Moreover, the quest for access to the sea is directly linked to shared security beyond the economic ties of the East African region.

 A regional connectivity would also promote trade, tourist flow, and job opportunities, serving as a basis for prosperity of all the countries, Fetih elaborated.

 Strengthening economic ties in the region and ensuring shared prosperity would subsequently bring peace and stability to the East African region.

 Hence Ethiopia’s access to the sea would contribute significantly to the collective security of the  region, mitigating the risk that comes with a loss of access to the sea, the Deputy Chairperson noted.

 Fethi stressed that strong internal and external diplomatic efforts must be strengthened and continued to resolve Ethiopia’s demand for access to the sea.