Addis ababa: Ethiopia's future is inseparable from the Abay River and the Red Sea, with both serving as strategic pillars for national development and regional connectivity, Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Itefa said.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the minister described the Abay (Blue Nile) and the Red Sea as two water bodies that have shaped Ethiopia's history, influenced regional power dynamics, and continue to define the country's economic and strategic trajectory. Habtamu emphasized that the significance of these waters goes beyond their physical existence, framing them within a broader historical, economic, and geopolitical context.
Ethiopia is a major contributor to the Abay Basin, with about 86 percent of the Blue Nile's flow originating in the Ethiopian highlands. Concurrently, the country has intensified diplomatic efforts to secure peaceful and mutually beneficial access to the Red Sea, a move gaining regional and international momentum.
The minister highlighted that the wellbeing and future prosperity of Ethiopia's more than 130 million people are closely linked to both the Abay and the Red Sea. These water bodies are strategic assets with implications extending beyond Ethiopia's borders. Habtamu recalled that, for decades, Ethiopia was hindered from fully developing and utilizing the Abay River due to external political pressures, which limited the country's development aspirations.
He pointed to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a transformative national project that has fundamentally changed Ethiopia's position. The dam now generates around 5.15 gigawatts of electricity, meeting growing domestic demand and expanding electricity exports to neighboring countries, making Ethiopia a key driver of regional power interconnection.
On the Red Sea, the minister stated that Ethiopia's current approach is based on diplomacy, peaceful engagement, and the principle of mutual benefit. He underscored that the country's pursuit of sea access is a strategic national objective spanning generations, not a short-term political agenda.
Habtamu added that improved Ethiopian access to the Red Sea could contribute to the country's economic transformation, regional stability, maritime security, and reduced geopolitical competition in one of the world's most strategically significant waterways. Amid East Africa's shifting geopolitics, he emphasized that the Abay and Red Sea are interconnected strategic assets vital to Ethiopia's growth and regional cooperation.