H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s president, arrived in Rome, Italy, yesterday, February 8, for a few days of bilateral talks between the two countries.
The president is expected to engage in discussions with various leaders to rediscover and relaunch relations with Italy. Mohamud hopes to strengthen cooperation in the investment, economy, industry, and education sectors by signing agreements with Italy.
Yesterday, the president met with Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Melani. He is scheduled to meet with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani today, February 9, and will speak about the Somali-Italian relationship at a Leonardo Med-Or Foundation event on February 10. Top Italian leaders, including Tajani, the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, the Minister of Defense, the foundation’s president, and former interior minister Marco Minniti, will be in attendance.
In addition, Mohamud will deliver a speech at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Board of Governors meeting next week. He will discuss his strategy in the fight against terrorism in Somalia, as well as the two countries cooperation in the investment, economy, industry, and education sectors, as well as any other areas of mutual interest. The two nations are expected to sign agreements to that effect.
President Mohamud’s visit comes just a week after he hosted Italy’s undersecretary of defense, Matteo Perego di Cremnago, and his delegation. The two talked about ways to strengthen ties between their countries through security and development cooperation.
Mohamud is not visiting Italy for the first time. In 2013, the head of state paid an official visit to Italy, where he discussed the two nations’ long-standing historical ties. He also spoke about Italy’s assistance in restructuring Somalia’s security sector and developing its cultural and economic sectors.
“Today Italy can once again rebuild the Somali state, just as Italy helped us create it 60 years ago,” Mohamud told the Italian newspaper “la Stampa.”
President Mohamud’s visit to Italy follows that of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. During his visit, Ahmed also met with the Italian Prime Minister, with whom he discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations. These visits, according to Nova.news, “bear witness to the rediscovered centrality of the horn of Africa.”
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