ADDIS ABABA, February 20. /TASS/. Ethiopia and Somalia will settle the crisis sparked by Addis Ababa’s signing of a maritime access memorandum with unrecognized Somaliland without outside interference, Russian Ambassador to Addis Ababa Yevgeny Terekhin said in a conversation with TASS.
"This issue should be settled between the two countries; I am sure they will find a mutually acceptable solution," he said.
"So far, no one is asking us [to mediate]; we are not imposing our services as a mediator. If they need any help or assistance, they will make such a request, then we will talk; but for now there is no topic for conversation," the ambassador added.
Tensions in relations between Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia escalated after Addis Ababa and unrecognized Somaliland concluded a memorandum of understanding to ensure Ethiopia's access to the latter’s seaports on the Gulf of Aden. The Somali authorities have said they intend to challenge the memorandum, which they believe violates the country's sovereignty. There have been a series of mass demonstrations condemning the memorandum in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Several countries, including the US and Egypt, have expressed a commitment to upholding Somalia's territorial integrity.