Somalia, Saudi Arabia to Enhance Cooperation in War against Terrorism
GOOBJOOG NEWS | JEDDAH: Somalia has inked a deal with Saudi Arabia that will see the two countries enhance cooperation in the security sector and the fight againstterrorism.
The agreement was discussed during the recently concluded official trip by the Federal Government of Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Saudi Arabia where he held talks with his counterpart King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
King Abdulaziz acknowledged the significant strides made by Somalia under President Mohamud’s leadership in implementing security sector reforms and combating terrorism.
The two sides discussed increasing military and security cooperation to achieve common security goals and strengthen collaboration in combating all forms of international crime, including smuggling, terrorism and financing terrorism.
They committed to sharing information to neutralize threats from terrorism and extremism, and to promote moderation and tolerance.
The Kingdom also welcomed the UN Security Council’s decision to lift the decade’s long arms embargo on Somalia, which opens the way for enhancing the capability of Somali security forces to effectively assume security responsibilities after the withdrawal of African Union forces.
In Mecca, President Mohamud met with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman where they engaged in formal bilateral talks covering a wide range of areas, including economy, trade, energy, defense and security, and climate change.
The two sides stressed the need to continue joint work in the economic, trade and investment fields, to develop and diversify the volume of trade, and to intensify visits by officials and private sector representatives from both countries.
Remarkably, the volume of trade between the two countries witnessed a 105% year-on-year growth from 2021 to 2022.
Further, the two sides also stressed the importance of maintaining stability in global energy markets, where Somalia commended the Kingdom’s role in maintaining a balanced global oil market, which benefits both producer and consumer nations, and fosters sustainable economic growth.
Saudi Arabia at the same time reaffirmed its steadfast support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, underscoring the importance of respecting Somalia’s position in addressing in regional affairs such as ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Palestine and Yemen.