Ethiopia, which is a landlocked country is keen to create a meaningful economic union with its neighbours, to satisfy its need for access to the sea, among other needs.
The country currently has port deals with Djibouti, Sudan, Kenya and recently, Eritrea. It is not yet clear why the leader of Djibouti, which handles up to 95% of inbound trade for landlocked Ethiopia, is not part of the meeting in Gondor.