Eritrea has formally responded to the speech given by the Ethiopian Prime Minister regarding Ethiopia’s aspiration to gain access to the sea.

In a brief statement released by the Ministry of Information on Monday, the Eritrean government expressed its lack of interest in “engaging in such channels and platforms” where discussions about sea access and related matters would take place.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed talked about the need for wider discussion in a televised speech broadcast on Friday night while addressing council members regarding Ethiopia’s desire to secure access to the sea. He emphasized that securing sea access for the country, given its significant population growth and strategic proximity to both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is a matter of vital importance.

The Eritrean government commented, “Discourses – both actual and presumed – on water, access to the sea, and related topics floated in the recent times are numerous and excessive indeed”.

“The affair has perplexed all concerned observers.”