Ethiopian President Not Supports Acquiring of Assab Port

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 09, 2002

Ethiopian President Not Supports Acquiring of Assab Port

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Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis has expressed his disagreement to acquire Assab portby saying that the issue raised by some parties under the cover that Ethiopia is a land locked country should not have connection with the Ethio-Eritrea border demarcation.

In a recent interview with local newspaper issued on Monday, the president noted the measures taken by the incumbent governmentwith regard to Assab "are correct and consistent with principles."

In his first public remark on the issue of border demarcation since he took the post of president last year, Girma said, "you cannot claim that something is not yours and go to war."

Accepting peacefully the ruling of the Hague tribunal due to beannounced later would enable the country to accelerate its economic development, he stressed.

Economic development and social transformation are unthinkable in the absence of peace and stability, he said, adding that Ethiopians should pool their ideas and resources to reduce the level of poverty in the country.

The Boundary Commission is expected to declare the border demarcation on April 13, and some Ethiopian opposition parties have launched rallies in some cities of the country to protest against the coming decision, saying the Assab port in Eritrea should be returned to Ethiopia.

Demanding Assab port means derecognizing the sovereignty of Eritrea and thereby violating the U.N. charter which strictly prohibits and condemns any attempt at forcible occupation of an independent state's territory.

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