Somalia calls for investment from Asian African countries

The Somali government called on Asian and African countries to support Somalia’s economic growth by investing in the country, during the Asian African ministerial meeting on Monday.
“On this occasion, I want to ask governments of Asian and African countries to give Somalia support in the form of investments delivered under the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership [NAASP],” Somalia’s deputy foreign affairs and investment promotion minister, Khalid Omar Ali, said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.
Ali said Somalia had an abundance of marine resources it could develop into a fisheries industry and natural resources, such as oil, gas and minerals.
Thus, he said, the Somali government was striving to get foreign investors into the country.
The ministerial meeting was part of the 60th Asian African Conference Commemoration events scheduled to take place in Jakarta and Bandung from April 19 to 24.
Ali went on to say that the Somali government focused its attention on increasing the country’s economic growth by gaining potential profits from the resources it had.
Therefore, he said, the Somali government had created laws that could attract foreign investors and create conducive conditions for trade and investment.
“We are also planning to take advantage of our natural resources sustainably by attracting foreign investors and Somalians in the diaspora to invest in various sectors, such as animal husbandry, agriculture and the fishing industry in the country,” said Ali.
The minister further said his country warmly welcomed the idea that, based on the NAASP, Asian and African countries would cooperate to ensure that their prioritized targets and interests could get maximum attention in the post-2015 development agenda.