BY TESFANEWS
Senior Eritrean delegation led by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebreab have arrived in Mogadishu on Monday at the invitation of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo).
Upon arrival at Mogadishu International Airport, the delegation received a warm welcome from Somalia Prime Minister Ali Khaire and other high ranking government officials.
Government spokesman and Minister of Information Yemane G. Merkel confirmed that the Eritrean delegation will meet and discuss with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and PM Hassan Ali Khayre on ways to improve the bilateral relations between the two sisterly countries.
In his welcome remarks, PM Khaire stressed that the current visit and the previous one by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo) to Eritrea bear significance on bilateral relations and show how the countries are determined to advance their cooperation.
“The visits are set to expand Somali-Eritrean friendship,” he said, stressing that a stable Horn of Africa region is important for the development of all countries in the region. He added that Somalia is ready to take its due role in this regard.
During the historic visit to Asmara, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed signed the “Eritrea-Somalia Joint Declaration on Brotherly Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation” with President Isaias Afwerki to restore diplomatic relations and to forge a new level of political, economic, cultural, defense and security cooperation between the two countries.
Accordingly, FM Osman Saleh on his part reiterated Eritrea’s willingness to resume diplomatic and economic ties with Somalia and exchanged views concerning the means to strengthen cooperation in various spheres of activity.
Both Eritrea and Somalia have not had diplomatic ties for nearly 15 years.
