Friday April 7, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and his Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabić discussed potential areas of mutual cooperation during a conversation on Friday. The leaders identified trade and investment, debt relief, and support in international forums as key collaborative areas. They also emphasized the importance of strengthening long-term friendships and advancing health and education initiatives. Cooperation in modern security technologies was acknowledged as another critical area of collaboration.
Prime Minister Barre said he also discussed Belgrade's proposal to host the 2027 World Expo. Serbia's main competitors are Argentina, Spain, the United States, and Thailand, for the opportunity to host the event. In June 2023, the decision on which country will host Expo 2027 will be made by 170 nations through a confidential ballot.
Although there is no direct historical connection between Somalia and Serbia, their interactions have been shaped by broader international politics and regional organizations. Both countries faced significant challenges in the 1990s, as Somalia experienced a civil war after the fall of Siad Barre's regime, while Yugoslavia underwent similar civil strife and fragmentation. As a result, their potential for bilateral cooperation was limited.
However, in recent years, Serbia has shown interest in building relationships with African countries, including Somalia. In 2019, the inaugural Serbia-Africa Summit saw the participation of 105 leaders from Serbia and African nations, with Somalia's Minister of Trade and Industry, Khalif Abdi Omar, among the attendees. The summit provided a platform for leaders to discuss trade, investment, and other areas of potential cooperation between the nations.
Somalia's Ambassador to Serbia, Mohamed Abdullahi Ahmed, presented his credentials to the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vui, on June 22, 2022. He is the first Somali ambassador posted to Belgrade since the collapse of the central government in 1991, paving the way for increased political and economic engagement. However, Serbia has not yet opened an embassy in the Somali capital.