ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Monday that his country has “no expansionist intentions” and does not seek to threaten its neighbors, while describing access to a maritime outlet and development of Nile waters as essential national priorities.

“We affirm to the entire world that Ethiopia harbors no geographic ambitions, has no expansionist intentions, and does not seek to threaten the security of our neighbors," Abiy said in an exceptional message written in Arabic ahead of Ramadan.

He described Ethiopia’s effort to secure sea access as a "vital existential necessity” driven by population growth and development needs, adding that it is an invitation to partnership that “does not infringe upon the sovereignty of neighbors nor harm the interests of others.”

Abiy also addressed regional tensions over Nile waters, saying Ethiopia’s pursuit of development through water resources “does not mean diminishing anyone’s share" and describing the river as a shared gift that should serve cooperation rather than conflict.

Ethiopia has long said its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, a nearly $5 billion megadam that is now operational and generating electricity, is central to its development strategy and energy supply for a country of more than 120 million people, while downstream nations Egypt and Sudan have raised concerns over water security.

In recent months, Abiy has stepped up calls for Ethiopia, Africa’s most populous landlocked nation, to secure dependable sea access, including remarks last weekend during the 39th African Union General Assembly, framing it as an "economic and demographic necessity that should be treated as a matter of regional prosperity" rather than territorial ambition.