Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa's plans to build a port in the breakaway republic of Somaliland following talks in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the "historic agreement",

Somalia and Ethiopia said they would work together to resolve a dispute over Addis Ababa's plan to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which had drawn in regional powers and threatened to further destabilise the Horn of Africa.

The leaders of Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to hold “technical talks” to resolve a dispute sparked by Ethiopia’s deal with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland.

The new agreement comes even as sources close to US President-elect Donald Trump say his administration is likely to recognize Somaliland’s independence.

Ethiopia and Somalia on Wednesday agreed to hold “technical talks” to resolve a dispute sparked by Ethiopia’s deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, according to a statement following talks in Turkey.

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held separate meetings with the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia on Wednesday as part of his efforts to resolve a dispute between the two Horn of Africa neighbours at odds over the breakaway Somaliland region.

Ethiopia had earlier signalled a willingness to recognise Somaliland’s independence in exchange for a strategic strip of land near the Red Sea and Indian Ocean intersection

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces talks between the two countries to end dispute over breakaway Somaliland region

The dispute between began January 1 when Somaliland’s president, Muse Bihi Abdi, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a "historic" memorandum of understanding to lease 20 kilometers of seafront to Ethiopia for 50 years,