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| Egypt,Mogadishu & Somalia ,Their relations to a strategic partnership encompassing political, security, and economic fields |
The Somali Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Transport for cooperation in the fields of maritime transport and ports.
The agreement comes amid growing interest in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, and Egypt's signing of similar agreements with countries in the region, while other powers seek to find a foothold in this strategic area.
Commenting on the adoption of the memorandum of understanding, Somali Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, Mohamed Nur, said, “This step comes within the framework of strengthening international cooperation, implementing the strategic plans of the ministry and the general policy of the DanQaran government, and supporting the National Transformation Plan (NTP), which contributes to strengthening national interests and raising the status and role of Somalia in the maritime field.”
For his part, the Somali ambassador to Cairo, Ali Abdi Awari, said that relations between Somalia and Egypt are witnessing continuous development at various levels, stressing that the memorandum of understanding represents a qualitative addition to the path of bilateral cooperation, and opens up broad horizons for the exchange of experiences, capacity building, and the development of ports and maritime transport in a way that serves the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.
This step is of importance beyond the economic aspect, as it comes at a time when the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab and the Horn of Africa are witnessing a rearrangement of regional balances.
Last May, Egypt and Eritrea signed an agreement for cooperation in maritime transport with the aim of enhancing logistical connectivity and economic integration. Cairo also signed a similar agreement with Djibouti at the end of last year, relating to the fields of maritime transport, logistics, port development and energy.
Strengthening cooperation with the federal government in Mogadishu would bolster its position on port management and sovereign matters, amid disputes over Somaliland and regional competition for influence in the Horn of Africa.
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa on the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, and overlooks one of the world’s most important maritime passages, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which leads to the Suez Canal in Egypt; this represents an extension of Cairo’s interest in the security of the Red Sea.
Egypt and Somalia have elevated their relations to a strategic partnership encompassing political, security, and economic fields.
