Ethiopia Leads a Week of Green Diplomacy as Red Sea Access Push Gains International Momentum

By Staff Writer

                                  November 15, 2026 (ENA)

The second week of November 2026 marked a significant period in Ethiopia’s diplomatic engagement, as the country stepped up its global climate leadership at COP31 in Türkiye while its longstanding aspiration for sovereign access to the Red Sea gained further international attention.

From advancing climate finance and green development partnerships to strengthening Africa’s voice in global climate negotiations, Ethiopia used the COP31 platform to reinforce its diplomatic standing ahead of hosting COP32 in Addis Ababa in November 2027.

 

At the same time, growing international recognition of Ethiopia’s strategic interests in Red Sea access, alongside renewed discussions over the equitable utilization of the Nile waters, brought the country's development priorities into sharper regional and international focus.

Together, these developments underscored Ethiopia’s increasingly assertive diplomatic engagement, anchored in its pursuit of sustainable development, regional cooperation and a greater role in shaping issues of strategic importance to Africa and the wider world.

Ethiopia Takes Center Stage in Global Climate Diplomacy

Ethiopia emerged as a prominent diplomatic voice at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), held in Antalya, Türkiye, where leaders and delegations from nearly 200 countries gathered to address the mounting challenges of global climate change. As the incoming host of COP32, Ethiopia used the international platform not only to showcase its homegrown climate initiatives but also to advocate for stronger international cooperation, accessible climate finance and practical solutions that address the needs of vulnerable communities.

Addressing the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for predictable, timely and affordable climate finance, emphasizing that international climate commitments must translate into tangible support before disasters strike.

 

The Premier stressed that climate action is not simply an environmental undertaking for Ethiopia but a fundamental pillar of its economic policy and national development strategy. “In Ethiopia, climate action is economic policy,” he said, highlighting the devastating effects of recurring El Niño-related droughts and floods on agricultural production, livelihoods and community resilience.

He noted that climate-related disasters continue to displace families, undermine economic gains and prolong recovery, even after rainfall returns and floodwaters recede. Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister underscored Ethiopia’s efforts to strengthen community-level preparedness and equip local governments to anticipate climate risks, protect livelihoods and respond before disasters escalate.

He also highlighted the country's broader climate vulnerabilities, noting that more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s electricity is generated from hydropower, making changing rainfall patterns a critical concern for national energy security and electricity supplies to neighboring countries.

The effects of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns also threaten Ethiopia’s forests and agricultural landscapes, including the country's globally renowned Arabica coffee, which remains an important source of livelihoods, export earnings and national identity.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s homegrown development philosophy of Medemer (Synergy), Abiy explained how the country is mobilizing communities, institutions and resources around shared climate and development objectives.

The Green Legacy Initiative, through which millions of Ethiopians participate in large-scale tree-planting campaigns, has seen more than 56 billion seedlings planted to date. The initiative is contributing to land restoration, forest expansion, employment creation and improved livelihoods.

The Premier further reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to expanding renewable energy, promoting climate-resilient agriculture, protecting urban environments and accelerating electric mobility as part of its broader green development agenda.

His message reinforced Ethiopia’s position that climate action must go beyond declarations and translate into measurable development outcomes, particularly for countries facing disproportionate climate risks despite contributing relatively little to global emissions.

Building the Road to COP32 in Addis Ababa

 

Beyond its high-level political engagements, Ethiopia intensified diplomatic consultations to lay the groundwork for a successful and inclusive COP32.

The country's high-level delegation, led by Foreign Minister and COP32 President-Designate Gedion Timothewos and Finance Minister and COP32 Chief Negotiator Fitsum Assefa, held extensive discussions with the COP31 Presidency, negotiating groups, participating countries and international partners. The engagements focused on ensuring a smooth transition from COP31 to COP32, strengthening trust among negotiating parties and building consensus around an implementation-oriented climate conference in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia's approach seeks to position COP32 as a platform that moves beyond climate pledges towards concrete action, with particular emphasis on climate finance, adaptation, resilience and the priorities of developing countries.

The opening of the Ethiopian Pavilion at COP31 further strengthened the country's visibility, bringing together diplomats, members of the Ethiopian delegation, partner organizations and international participants to showcase its climate initiatives, investment opportunities and green development experience. The pavilion also provided an important platform for promoting Ethiopia's renewable energy potential, Green Legacy achievements, sustainable agriculture and climate investment opportunities ahead of COP32.

Intensive Diplomatic Engagements on the Sidelines of COP31

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also used the COP31 gathering to advance Ethiopia’s bilateral and multilateral relations through a series of high-level meetings with world leaders.

Among his engagements was a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Antalya ahead of the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, reflecting the importance Ethiopia attaches to strengthening relations with its strategic partners.

 

The Premier also held discussions with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Iraqi President Nizar Mohammed Saeed, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Botswana's President Duma Gideon Boko.

The engagements provided opportunities to discuss bilateral cooperation, shared development priorities, climate action and broader regional and international issues.

Ethiopia's diplomatic presence at COP31 thus extended beyond climate negotiations, reinforcing its commitment to building strategic partnerships and expanding cooperation across regions.

Ethiopia’s Red Sea Access Aspiration Gains International Recognition

While Ethiopia was advancing its climate diplomacy in Antalya, its pursuit of sovereign access to the Red Sea also attracted renewed international attention, with prominent political figures and foreign defense officials expressing recognition of the country's strategic interests. As Africa's second-most populous nation and one of the region's major economies, Ethiopia has consistently argued that its landlocked status presents significant economic and strategic constraints, particularly given the growing importance of maritime trade to its long-term development.

 

The country has maintained that its aspiration for sea access is rooted in legitimate geographical, historical, economic and strategic considerations, while emphasizing the importance of peaceful engagement, dialogue and mutually beneficial arrangements.

Former Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the Ivorian Popular Front, Pascal Affi N’Guessan, recently described Ethiopia's quest for sovereign sea access as a legitimate national aspiration.

Speaking to ENA in Addis Ababa, Affi N’Guessan expressed hope that outstanding issues could be resolved through constructive dialogue and compromises acceptable to all parties. “I believe that the ambition of Ethiopia is legitimate, and we hope that these questions will find solutions acceptable to all parties, through good compromises that allow everyone to recognize that this is the path that enables the entire region to move forward,” he said.

 

He emphasized that mutual understanding and cooperation were essential to ensuring that competing interests do not become obstacles to regional development and stability.

His remarks added to growing international discussions surrounding Ethiopia's maritime aspirations and the broader implications of sea access for economic integration and regional cooperation in the Horn of Africa.

Similarly, French and Danish defense attachés recognized Ethiopia's legitimate interest in Red Sea access, highlighting its potential contribution to regional stability, maritime security and efforts to combat terrorism.

Speaking to ENA, French Defense Attaché Colonel Damien Cypryk described Ethiopia's aspiration as legitimate, linking maritime access to the country's development and stability. “Access to the Red Sea for Ethiopia is a perfectly legitimate act because it is a question of development and stability,” he stated.

 

The defense officials also underscored Ethiopia's importance as a major regional actor, noting that its participation in regional security mechanisms could contribute to safeguarding the strategically important Horn of Africa and its surrounding maritime routes.

Their remarks highlighted the broader strategic dimension of Ethiopia's maritime aspirations, which extend beyond trade and economic considerations to encompass regional security, stability and cooperation.

Nile Development: Ethiopia Reaffirms Its Position on Equitable Utilization

Meanwhile, the equitable utilization of the Abay (Blue Nile) waters remained another important dimension of Ethiopia's regional development diplomacy.

Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa urged Egypt to modernize its domestic water management practices, reconsider water-intensive agricultural activities and seek Ethiopia's consent for development projects involving Nile waters.

 

The Minister's remarks reaffirm Ethiopia's position that the Nile should serve as a source of shared prosperity and development rather than a basis for perpetuating historical inequities. Ethiopia has consistently maintained that the equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary water resources is essential to ensuring the development rights of all riparian countries, while promoting cooperation and avoiding unnecessary regional tensions.

The completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), achieved despite considerable financial and diplomatic challenges, remains a major expression of the country's determination to harness its natural resources for national development.

A Week Reflecting Ethiopia's Expanding Diplomatic Ambitions

All in all, Ethiopia's engagements during the second week of November reflected a broader diplomatic strategy that connects climate leadership, economic transformation, regional security and sovereign development interests.

At COP31, the country strengthened its international profile as an emerging voice in global climate negotiations, while laying the diplomatic groundwork for COP32 in Addis Ababa. Its extensive bilateral engagements further demonstrated its determination to build partnerships around shared development and global challenges.

 

At the same time, international recognition of Ethiopia's Red Sea access aspirations and renewed discussions over equitable Nile utilization brought its strategic interests into greater international focus.

As Ethiopia prepares to host COP32 in 2027, it is increasingly positioning itself not merely as a participant in international discussions but as a country seeking to shape the global development agenda, advance African priorities and promote solutions to some of the most consequential challenges facing the continent and the wider world.