In a joint statement issued at the end of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a strong commitment to the unity of Somalia and its sovereignty over its entire territory was emphasized.
Both sides stressed the importance of adhering to principles of good neighborliness.
According to the statement, at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and based on the distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and the Federal Republic of Somalia and their peoples, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made an official visit to Saudi Arabia on April 6th.
He was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister, and President of the Federal Republic of Somalia at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, where they held official talks, reviewing bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop them in all fields. They exchanged views on current regional and international situations.
In the economic, trade, and investment fields, both sides emphasized the importance of continuing joint efforts between the two brotherly countries to enhance trade volume, promote and diversify bilateral trade, and intensify mutual visits between officials and the private sector.
They noted the growth witnessed in bilateral trade volume in 2022 by 105% compared to 2021, highlighting the opportunities presented by Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance cooperation in various fields.
The importance of enhancing investment relations in various sectors, including agriculture, livestock, fisheries, transportation, logistics services, and ports, was also agreed upon.
Both sides welcomed the outcomes of the Saudi-Somali roundtable held on the sidelines of the Saudi-African Summit, attended by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
In the energy sector, both sides agreed on the importance of stabilizing global energy markets, with Somalia welcoming Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting the balance of global oil markets to serve the interests of producing and consuming countries and achieve sustainable economic growth.
Regarding climate change, both sides emphasized the importance of committing to the principles of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and the need to develop and implement climate agreements focusing on emissions reduction.
Somalia welcomed the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives and expressed support for Saudi efforts in the field of climate change.
In the defense and security fields, both sides discussed ways to enhance military and security cooperation to achieve common interests, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing existing security cooperation on matters of mutual interest, including combating various forms of crime, taking all measures to prevent smuggling crimes, combating terrorism and its financing, and exchanging information in this regard to neutralize the threat of terrorism and extremism.
They also affirmed their determination to enhance coordination and cooperation to combat transboundary corruption in all its forms, prosecute perpetrators, and recover proceeds from corruption through leveraging the Global Network of law enforcement agencies involved in combating corruption (GlobE Network), exchanging experiences and training to contribute to achieving security and stability in both countries.
Saudi Arabia welcomed Somalia’s achievements under the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in implementing reforms and restoring security and stability in many regions of Somalia, praising the progress made by Somali forces against terrorist organizations. Saudi Arabia emphasized the importance of international support for Somalia to complete the mission of eliminating terrorism.
Saudi Arabia also welcomed the UN Security Council decision to lift the arms embargo on Somalia, opening the door to building Somali security forces to assume security responsibilities after the withdrawal of African Union forces.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the decision to waive Somalia’s debt by international creditors, as a recognition of Somalia’s efforts and success in implementing a number of economic reforms to achieve sustainable development in the country, which gives more credibility to its financial institutions.
In regional affairs, both sides discussed developments in Palestine and expressed grave concern over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
They stressed the need to halt military operations in Palestinian territories, protect civilians, and enable international humanitarian organizations to carry out their humanitarian assistance missions.
Regarding Yemen, both sides emphasized the importance of full support for UN and regional efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis. Somalia praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts and numerous initiatives aimed at encouraging dialogue and reconciliation among Yemeni parties, and its role in facilitating and enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid to all regions of Yemen.
Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining security and stability in the Red Sea region, where freedom of navigation is an international demand linked to the interests of the entire world, and called for restraint and avoiding escalation amidst the events in the region.
In the Sudanese context, both sides emphasized the importance of the conflicting parties in Sudan committing to ending the current conflict between them.
They also welcomed the agreements reached between the conflicting parties in Jeddah Talks (2) on November 7, 2023, committing to take steps to facilitate the increase of humanitarian aid and implement confidence-building measures, paving the way for a permanent cessation of hostilities to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.