Turkey facilitated discussions between Somalia and Ethiopia on Monday to address rising diplomatic tensions, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported.

Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Taye Atske Selassie, and Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, engaged in a constructive dialogue mediated by Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan.

The diplomatic strain began when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland in January. The agreement, which granted Ethiopia access to the sea through Somaliland in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s independence, was condemned by Somalia as a breach of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The meeting aimed to resolve these issues peacefully, with both countries expressing gratitude to Turkey for its mediation efforts. A second round of talks is scheduled to take place in Ankara on September 2.

Somalia and Ethiopia had previously maintained peaceful relations before the January memorandum.