HE Prime Minister of the sisterly Federal Republic of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre praised the supporting position of the State of Qatar to his country in various circumstances, affirming that the Somali people will remember and appreciate these noble Qatari positions.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency , Somali Prime Minister said Qatar has never been reluctant in extending the hand of aid and support to all issues at all regional and international levels and forums. He added that history will record the outstanding and pioneering role of Qatar and its people in the growth and development in Somalia which is demonstrated in supporting development projects and infrastructure such as roads, rehabilitation of government facilities, as well as cooperation in countering a variety of crises and responding to humanitarian appeals.
Qatar’s hosting of the third meeting of the quint group on Somalia last June underscores Qatar’s constructive role in supporting the tracks of development and stability in Somalia both at the regional and international levels, along with Qatar’s commitment to standing with the Somali people and marshalling the efforts of the international community to provide full support to address the root causes of extremism, end and prevent armed conflict and boost regional and international cooperation in alignment with the international laws, Abdi Barre noted.
He added that Somalia does not see Qatar as a mere partner, but rather a strategic ally and reliable friend, adding that he aspires to further cooperation and achieve more integration in a variety of fields in quest of accomplishing the joint interests of the two sisterly countries and brotherly peoples.
Abdi Barre asserted that Somalia works to solidify the existing cooperation with Qatar at bilateral level and looks forward to expanding this cooperation to encompass significant fields such as education, culture, development of human wealth, combating extreme and radical ideology, as well as country- building efforts to promote peace, stability and supporting sustainable development steps.
He pointed out that the Republic of Somalia looks forward to further cooperation in trade and investment in a variety of sectors to take advantage of the Somali rich wealth, including 3330km of the coasts rich in fish wealth, roughly 8.5 million hectares of fertile arable land, and nearly 40 million heads of camels, sheep, and cows, in addition to other opportunities in energy sectors and various industries.
He said his country looks forward to activating and strengthening joint committees between the two countries and implementing all agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two sides to double coordination and cooperation towards issues that concern Arab and Islamic peoples and the whole world.
At the regional and international levels, Somalia aspires to political coordination and consultations in issues of common concern and reaffirms its commitment to deepening partnership in joint political and regional interests, along with the mechanisms of defeating threats besetting Somalia to ensure overcoming climate change risks and food security, he said.
Regarding his visit to Doha, HE Prime Minister of the sisterly Federal Republic of Somalia outlined that such a visit comes in the context of upgrading and consolidating fraternal ties between the two sisterly countries, in addition to strengthening the course of the existing close relations between them, pointing out that the visit reflects the depth of the outstanding and solid relationship, as well as the close fraternal ties between Somalia and the State of Qatar.
He pointed out that there is a well-established relationship between the two countries as a model of outstanding relations among nations, adding that such relationship was reflected on promoting the degree of confidence and shared support, in addition to increasing the pace of cooperation between the two countries in economic, security and development areas.
HE Hamza Abdi Barre said the relationship between the two sisterly countries witnessed a remarkable progress during the past years, adding that his visit to his brothers in Qatar confirms the commitment to deepening partnership in all fields to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Arab and Islamic nations.
The Republic of Somalia has made long strides and today it is getting out of the cycle of recurrent calamities and impediment of insecurity and instability, he added, highlighting that such a moment is precious opportunity in the history of Somalia to consolidate myriad efforts for the sustainability of development and progress in the country.
He pointed out that Somalia is on the verge of overcoming three challenges, mainly defeating Al Qaeda-affiliated elements of Al-Shabaab, suppressing their existence in Somalia, implementing the plan for the exit of the African Union peacekeeping forces from the country, regaining sovereignty and continuing the process of financial and economic reforms, as well as completing the process of relief debt.
The current government in Somalia embarked on intensive efforts to counter terrorism whether ideologically, physically, or militarily through cleaning up a roughly 900 km of strategic roads and the liberation of 80 towns, equivalent to half of the areas in which Al-Shabaab group was stationed, Abdi Barre pointed out.
He added that Somalia focused its efforts on achieving a real reconciliation to create the essential political conditions required for achieving stability, outlining that the country had heretofore organized many consecutive meetings of the National Consultative Council in which radical agreements were reached, chief among which are separation of the authorities’ powers at various government levels, justice system and independence of judiciary authority.
Somali Prime Minister affirmed that the achievement of security and stability in Africa requires an overarching effort and international cooperation to attain motives of security and stability, adding that bolstering economic growth and providing job, education and health opportunities can largely reduce the rate of poverty and support stability. He highlighted that investment in infrastructure and boosting a variety of economic sectors, along with regional trade can help achieve economic growth, in addition to supporting local efforts aimed at promoting dialogue and resolving political disputes through peaceful means. He said international mediations and regional institutions can contribute to this aspect.
He stressed the need to enforce anti-corruption measures in a resource-management approach and provide public services that considerably foster people’s confidence in government leading to stability, pointing out that cooperation among African nations plays a critical role in bolstering security and stability, along with sharing expertise and resources to address joint challenges.
Bolstering security capabilities and regional cooperation to counter terrorism and organized crimes plays an important role in achieving stability, as well as education and culture which play a vital role in building robust and sustainable communities, he added.
Source: Qatar News Agency
