Friday March 1, 2024
Antalya (HOL) - A delegation led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday night to attend the third edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) will convene representatives from 147 countries worldwide. The forum, themed "Elevating Diplomacy Amidst Crises," will address various topics including global issues, climate change, migration, Islamophobia, trade wars, and artificial intelligence.
President Mohamud and his delegation members are scheduled to hold separate meetings with Turkish officials during their stay in Turkey.
Sources suggest that the Somali delegation's visit to Turkey will also serve as an opportunity to strengthen the recently established 10-year defense and economic cooperation agreement between the two countries, which has sparked debate within Somalia.
The Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement was signed between Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Somali counterpart, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, in Ankara on Feb. 8.
This new agreement comes amid escalating tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, triggered by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somalia's breakaway Somaliland region. Somalia has firmly rejected the MOU, declaring the deal "null and void."