Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Mogadishu24)-The breakaway Republic of Somaliland took a significant diplomatic step on Wednesday, laying the foundation stone for its future embassy in Addis Ababa.

The land for the embassy was donated by the Ethiopian government, a move Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Essa Kayd, hailed as a strengthening of bilateral ties between the two entities.

The development, however, has further strained the already tense relations between Somalia and Ethiopia. Earlier this year, Ethiopia signed a port deal with Somaliland, which Somalia viewed as a violation of its territorial sovereignty.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on January 1st, sparked a diplomatic rift, leading to Somalia expelling Ethiopia’s ambassador and accusing its neighbor of undermining its national integrity.

While two rounds of Turkey-brokered peace talks in Ankara have failed to resolve the issue, a third round of negotiations remains uncertain after being delayed from its scheduled date in September.

The establishment of an embassy for Somaliland in Addis Ababa is expected to exacerbate the conflict, adding another layer of complexity to the regional diplomatic crisis.

Somalia’s government has yet to comment on Ethiopia’s latest move, but the implications are likely to further complicate efforts to resolve the tensions between the two nations.