Somalia Urges Stronger Global Cooperation to Protect Trade Routes

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BRUSSELS: Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali on Friday told the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum that multilateral cooperation is essential for safeguarding global trade routes and protecting fragile states like Somalia from the fallout of rising geopolitical tensions.

Addressing delegations from more than 60 countries, Abdisalam said the world is entering a period of sharp political uncertainty, with great-power rivalry putting pressure on supply chains and turning key maritime zones into contested spaces.

He warned that such instability directly affects countries along the Horn of Africa, which rely heavily on secure shipping lanes and predictable global markets.

The minister said Somalia’s security and economic prospects depend on a stronger international system that favours dialogue over confrontation. He urged partners to reinforce global institutions and commit to peaceful dispute resolution, arguing that isolated or unilateral policies only deepen volatility.

Abdisalam told the forum that climate stress, maritime insecurity and economic shocks often hit fragile coastal states hardest, making regional cooperation vital for resilience. He said Somalia’s own reforms and recovery efforts are strengthened when global powers coordinate rather than compete.

His participation in the forum highlighted Somalia’s push to play a more active diplomatic role and to shape conversations about the stability of trade routes that link East Africa to the wider Indo-Pacific region.