ISTANBUL

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation on regional and global issues.

Abiy described the talks as "productive" in a post on US social media company X as discussions centered on bolstering ties, expanding cooperation across key sectors and coordinating efforts on regional and global issues of shared concern.

The prince arrived Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to meet Abiy, with discussions focusing on regional developments as well as advancing security and stability in the region, the Saudi Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

The Saudi foreign minister’s visit follows a trip to Riyadh by his Ethiopian counterpart, Gedion Timothewos, on Feb. 2.

Ethiopia faces heightened tensions, with renewed clashes in Tigray, unresolved post-war issues and escalating Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions that have fueled fears of wider regional instability.