Addis Ababa(W,N)/ENA/ Exclusion of Ethiopia from the Red Sea forum, which is a new geopolitical architecture formed by the Gulf states and the Horn of Africa countries in 2019, is wrong, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Briefing the media today, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dina Mufti said Ethiopia is demanding to join the Red Sea forum as the country is a regional champion in the endeavor to integrate the Horn of Africa region.

The forum involves some eight countries, namely Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen.

However, Ethiopia that has more than 100 million population and geopolitical proximity to the Red Sea is excluded from the forum.

The spokesperson stated that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonen has pointed out during his trip to Germany to attend the 58th Munich Security Conference early this week that the exclusion of Ethiopia from the Red Sea forum is wrong.

“The deputy prime minister mentioned that exclusion of Ethiopia from the Red Sea forum is wrong because Ethiopia has a lot to contribute for strengthening peace and security of this region.”

According to Dina, since the forum is established to tackle illegal human trafficking, weapons smuggling and other related issues, Ethiopia should be part of this form as it could contribute  a lot to  for strengthening peace and security.

With this argument, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister who attended the Red Sea forum round table discussion on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference stressed the need for reconsidering Ethiopia as an important country for the forum, he elaborated.

“The Ethiopian role in linking the region through transportation is critical. As you know Ethiopia is a champion in the area of building infrastructures to accelerate regional integration,” the speaker noted.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen also held talks with the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, foreign ministers of Sweden and Ireland on the sidelines of the 58th  Munich Security Conference, it was learned.

With regarding to the current situation in Ethiopia, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister briefed the officials that TPLF has continued the war by attacking neighboring regions and adding up to the atrocious acts that it has been committing so far.

Demeke also called on the international community to break the silence and hold the TPLF accountable for destroying the economic and social infrastructure that affected the delivery of humanitarian services, the spokesperson stated.

SOURCE; ENA.