Azerbaijan, Somalia forge stronger ties with key agreements, says President Aliyev FULL SPEECH/PHOTO

Azerbaijan and Somalia are set to strengthen their bilateral ties through a series of key agreements signed during a historic visit by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Baku.

In a press statement on February 12, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the significance of the visit, marking the first of its kind in the history of relations between the two nations. The agreements, which cover areas such as education, defence cooperation, investment, and public services, reflect both countries' mutual commitment to enhancing their partnership, Caliber.Az reports via Azertag.

The President of Azerbaijan made the statement first.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear Mr. President,

Dear guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome, Mr. President, to Azerbaijan. I am very glad that you accepted my invitation to pay an official visit to our country. This is a historic visit and the first in the history of bilateral relations between our countries. I am sure that the visit will open a new page in the close friendly relationship between our countries. Today, during our meeting with the President, we have already discussed quite a big number of issues of mutual interest. I will continue our discussions today with the participation of the members of delegations.

The documents, which have been signed today, clearly demonstrate our mutual will to develop bilateral ties in many areas. I am sure that all what have been signed today in Baku will be materialized and will elevate our relations to a higher level.

We broadly discussed the geopolitical situation in our regions and the challenges, which our countries are facing, and once again reiterated mutual support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our countries and also our mutual position on fighting terrorism and extremism. Of course, political stability in every country is a main prerequisite for development. I informed Mr. President about the difficult times Azerbaijan faced in the 1990s and at the beginning of this century until the liberation of our internationally recognized territories from Armenian occupation.

I also shared our experience in attracting investments and creating a positive business environment in Azerbaijan. Among the areas, which we discussed and will continue to discuss, I think, education is one of the most important ones. Today, we already have initial achievements in this area. Several students from Somalia are studying in Azerbaijan on the Heydar Aliyev scholarship. The agreement signed today will allow us to increase their number initially to ten students and then to more students. So, in our universities, of course, there will be the opportunity to get access to the modern educational programs, which will be helpful for the economic development of Somalia.

We also discussed investment opportunities in Somalia. As you know, prior to the visit of Mr. President, the big delegation from Azerbaijan visited Somalia a week ago, which mainly worked on preparation of the visit and at the same time on how to build strong economic, political, cultural ties in the future. I think that this process should continue. As a result of the official visit of the President, I think, we need to send another team to Somalia with concrete targets and goals to identify the areas of investments and also to specify the concrete projects, where Azerbaijani investments can be accepted and can be helpful. Its infrastructure, ports infrastructure, agriculture - Mr. President informed me about the vast potential. I also informed him about our targets for creating self-sufficient agriculture in Azerbaijan. So, I think we can create quite substantial synergy in this area.

Defense is one of the important areas of our cooperation. Today, a document was signed, and tomorrow Mr. President will get acquainted with some elements of Azerbaijani defense capabilities and also defense industry. During today’s meeting with the delegations, we will definitely discuss the opportunities. Azerbaijan has elaborated a strong defense industry potential by manufacturing the majority of its defense equipment. We need this equipment for ourselves, while also becoming an important exporter of modern defense equipment to dozens of countries. Training is also essential because the Second Karabakh War and then anti-terror operation demonstrated the high professionalism of our military servicemen, who, in a very difficult geographical landscape, managed to liberate our territory, which had been under occupation for almost thirty years, with six or seven lines of defense and various engineering infrastructures and did it within the limited timeframe, fully restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. So, tomorrow, there will also be a presentation of our special forces’ performance to Mr. President. So, I think, defense cooperation, training, and also potentially, the joint manufacturing of defense equipment and supply of defense equipment from Azerbaijan to Somalia should be one of the important areas of our cooperation.

I would also like to underline the importance of cooperation in the area of public services. One of the agreements signed today actually covers this area. The system, which is already successfully functioning in Azerbaijan – the ASAN public services system – has received many international awards, with the most important being the appreciation of the Azerbaijani people. Because the approval rate of ASAN services in Azerbaijan is close to one hundred percent. So, this really demonstrates that this is a service to the people, which makes their life easier. I know that in the President’s program, there is also a visit to one of the centers. If you decide, and if you like it, we can establish a similar system in your country.

Of course, an important part of our partnership is mutual support in international institutions. I know that our foreign ministers met on many occasions and discussed this issue. We will definitely continue to support each other in the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other international institutions. Because this is very important for both countries to have partners and friends on whom they can rely.

Once again, Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan. I wish you a pleasant stay.

X X X

Then, the President of Somalia made the statement.

Statement by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

- Thank you very much, Mr. President. It is really a great honor for me to visit Azerbaijan for the first time in the history of our relationship and to become the first sitting president who visited Azerbaijan.

It’s both an honor and a privilege to be here in Baku—the capital of the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan - to engage in a meaningful discussion with my esteemed brother and friend, President Ilham Aliyev. I extend my gratitude to His Excellency for the warm welcome and hospitality. According to me, and to my delegation, our meeting today has been highly productive and marks the beginning of a new era in Somalia-Azerbaijan relationship.

This visit is not just a diplomatic engagement. Indeed, it is the beginning of a meaningful and strategic alliance on partnership between our two brotherly countries. Somalia and Azerbaijan share a common vision for development, security, and prosperity. Today, we affirmed our commitment to deepening closer cooperation across key actors. I would also like to commend the Azerbaijani people for protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We have a lot of similarities over the last three decades. Particularly in the 1990s, when Azerbaijan faced some difficulties, Somalia also went through those difficulties. Fortunately, Alhamdulillah, the Azerbaijani people have succeeded to overcome and prevail as a stable and prosperous country in this part of the world.

We would like Azerbaijan to share the experience it went through, and we are ready to learn from its practical experience. All the collaborations you mentioned, Mr. President, are very useful to Somalia, to both of us, and particularly to Somalia. Somalia is a country in transition from a difficult era to a very bright future. Somalia is a rich and resourceful country, but circumstances have not given it the opportunity to prosper. With good partners like Azerbaijan, I believe that the potential of our country will be very visible and predictable. Predictable politics and predictable policies of development are other key areas in which we can learn from Azerbaijan.

The agreements we signed today provide a structural framework to harness Azerbaijan’s expertise while opening new opportunities for our two nations and peoples. Beyond these agreements, our engagement today lays the foundation for a robust economic and diplomatic relationship between our two countries. Somalia values Azerbaijan’s leadership in energy, infrastructure, security, and education - areas where we can greatly benefit from knowledge sharing and investment partnership with Azerbaijan.

Similarly, Azerbaijan can look to Somalia as a gateway to Africa’s growing markets, particularly in trade and logistics. The strategic location of Somalia in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea is a valuable strategic area, where economic benefits can be shared and explored by both of our countries.

Mr. President, today is just the beginning. Somalia and Azerbaijan share more than a vision for economic growth and security. We share the spirit of resilience, determination, and ambition to shape a better future for our people.

Your Excellency, Mr. President, I look forward to strengthening our ties further through the exchange of delegations, through exchange of goods. Somali technical groups are ready to visit Azerbaijan again and present the opportunities existing and emerging in Somalia to Azerbaijan, the government of Azerbaijan, the private sector of Azerbaijan.

Once again, Mr. President, I thank you, and the government of Azerbaijan for your warm hospitality and wish for more stronger, determined future between our two nations.

We hope to welcome you to Somalia sometime in the future, Inshallah.

I thank you very much, Mr. President.