Ethiopia’s foreign policy balancing act in the Gulf and Red Sea
Can Ethiopia remain neutral towards the Middle East and still protect its interests in the Red Sea?
Ethiopia has strong ties with the Middle East and is a gateway to Africa from the region. But in the past several years it has been caught between two blocks of Gulf countries – one consisting of UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the other led by Qatar, Turkey and Iran.
The Red Sea that divides the two groups has enormous commercial, security and maritime value. As a landlocked country, Ethiopia needs to prevent instability in the area and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has tried to mediate between the two sides. This seminar assesses Ethiopia’s foreign policy towards Gulf countries and the Red Sea.
Chair: Tewodros Zewdie, expert on international trade and international relations
Speakers:
Amb Tekeda Alemu, former Ethiopian ambassador to the UN and former state minister of foreign affairs, Ethiopia
Dr Yonas Ashne, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Addis Ababa University
