Ethiopia and unrecognized Somaliland signed a memorandum on Monday to secure Addis Ababa's access to the sea and diversify the country's access to seaports, the Ethiopian prime minister's office said on X (formerly Twitter).
"[The memorandum] also strengthens their [Ethiopian and Somalian] security, economic, and political partnership," the office's statement said.
The document was signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and the President of Somaliland Muse Bihe Abdi in Addis Ababa.
According to the agreement, Ethiopia will lease part of Somaliland to build a port and a military base, the government media reported.
The memorandum of understanding also reaffirms the Ethiopian government's desire to work with its neighbors for mutual benefit.
Moreover, the event opens "a new chapter of cooperation" between Ethiopia and Somaliland and "has a huge significance for regional integration in the horn."
In October, the Awdal State Movement, a political organization in Somaliland, reportedly invited Ethiopia to establish access to a Red Sea port in the city of Zeila. This invitation was prompted by Ahmed's televised address to legislators, in which he reiterated that the "access to the port is an existential matter for Ethiopia" and that "Ethiopians should at least start discussing the [ownership of a] Red Sea [port]," the media reported.