Addis Ababa, October 6, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable access to the sea will continue through diplomacy, mutual benefit and the principle of give-and-take, President Taye Atske-Selassie said Tuesday, as the country’s newly constituted Parliament began its new working phase.
President Taye made the remarks while presenting the federal government’s priorities and future directions at the inaugural joint session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of Federation, convened today at the opening of the seventh parliamentary term.
The joint session followed the inaugural proceedings of the two Houses on Monday, when their respective leaderships were elected and the House of Peoples’ Representatives reappointed Dr. Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for a second term.
Against this backdrop of a new parliamentary and government working phase, President Taye identified Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable sea access as part of the country’s forward-looking national priorities, emphasizing a peaceful and mutually beneficial approach.
He said Ethiopia’s efforts to secure reliable access to the sea through diplomacy and mutual benefit have laid foundations for international acceptance and legitimacy, demonstrating the country’s positive desire to pursue shared growth and prosperity.
The President stressed that Ethiopia’s approach is grounded in the principle of give-and-take, framing the pursuit as one to be advanced through engagement and arrangements that recognize the interests of the parties involved.
He presented the approach as part of Ethiopia’s broader effort to safeguard its national interests while pursuing peaceful solutions to complex challenges and creating conditions for shared development and prosperity.
The sea-access priority was outlined alongside the federal government’s wider programme for the 2019 fiscal year, presented by President Taye to lawmakers at the opening of the new parliamentary working phase.