The welcome ceremony for the Ethiopian prime minister was first attended by Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohamed, prime minister of Kahire, members of different government bodies, Benadir regional governor and other officials.
The plane carrying Ethiopian Prime Minister and other officials from his government landed at Adan Adde International Airport shortly after 9 am.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister will hold talks with Somali leader on regional integration, peace, and security.Key among the discussions will be regional stability and the two nations bilateral relations.This will be his fourth foreign visit, after Djibouti and Sudan, since his swearing-in on 2 April.
After receiving guard of honor at the airport, Ahmed was driven to the presidential palace in Mogadishu where the two leaders are holding talks.Security has been tightened with the deployment of Somali troops along major roads in Mogadishu. All major roads leading to the airport and the palace have been closed to the public.
Ethiopia has more than 4,200 troops who are officially serving as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia. In addition, several thousand Ethiopian troops operate in various parts of Somalia outside of the Amisom mandate but under a bilateral agreement with Somalia.