New Delhi, Nov 15 India and Somalia held their first round of Foreign Office Consultations in Mogadishu on Sunday, reviewing the “entire gamut” of bilateral ties and identifying areas such as trade, health, defence and maritime security for greater cooperation.
The consultations were co-chaired by Joint Secretary (WANA) Suresh Kumar M and Somalia’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hamza Adan Haadoow, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
New Delhi and Mogadishu signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Saturday in the Somali capital, establishing a structured mechanism to regularly review bilateral relations, with the first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held on Sunday following its signing.
“During the meeting, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including trade & investment, health & pharma, SME, development partnership, defence, security, consular, culture, and people-to-people ties,” the statement said
“Discussions covered the increased hijacking and piracy in the region and the need to effectively counter these for the security of ships and the safety of seafarers,” it said.
“The sides were unequivocal in their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the statement added.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and appreciated their close coordination and cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
“India and Somalia share longstanding and friendly ties. India is one of the top three trading partners of Somalia,” the MEA said.
It added that India was also a reliable development partner and a preferred destination for Somali nationals seeking medical treatment and higher education.
The two sides agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in India on a mutually convenient date.
The consultations were part of Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) Ranganathan’s visit to Somalia, who arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday for the first high-level bilateral visit from India in recent years.
During the visit, she called on Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mohamud fondly recalled his association with India and his 2015 visit, and shared his vision for further strengthening the bilateral partnership, the MEA said.
Ranganathan also met Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and held discussions on strengthening defence cooperation, particularly in maritime security, counter-terrorism and capacity building.
She also met Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Mohamed Ali. The discussions covered trade, medical cooperation, education, capacity building, and recent geopolitical developments in the region.
Ranganathan also interacted with members of the Indian community in Mogadishu and assured them of the government’s full support for the welfare of the Indian diaspora.
India and Somalia established diplomatic relations in 1960, a year after Somalia’s independence.
India opened a resident mission in Mogadishu, which was closed in 1991 following the outbreak of civil war.
The Indian High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya, is now concurrently accredited to Somalia.
(PTI News)
