Yokohama — Somalia and Japan have pledged to deepen their development cooperation following high-level meetings held during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) in Yokohama.
Somalia’s Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, Mohamud Sheikh Farah (Beene-Beene), met with several senior Japanese officials, including Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, the Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Miyazaki Katsura, and members of the Japan-Africa Parliamentary Friendship Committee.
Talks focused on enhancing bilateral relations, scaling up development support, and expanding cooperation in areas such as economic reform, youth empowerment, and infrastructure development.
Minister Farah was accompanied by Somalia’s Ambassador to China and Japan, Hodan Osman Abdi, the Chairman of the Somalia Development and Reconstruction Bank, and the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisor, Aweys Abdullahi Ali.
Japan’s Foreign Minister reiterated Tokyo’s continued support for Somalia’s security and economic growth, emphasizing the importance of long-term partnership.
In talks with JICA officials, both sides agreed to accelerate development initiatives, increase vocational training opportunities, and expand investments in key infrastructure projects to stimulate job creation and economic resilience in Somalia.
Meanwhile, members of the Japan-AU Parliamentary Committee expressed their commitment to strengthening economic ties and supporting investment in Somalia’s social and development sectors.
The meetings are part of the Somali government’s broader diplomatic outreach to forge stronger global partnerships in support of its National Transformation Plan and long-term Vision 2060.
