Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta.
By KEVIN CHERUIYOT
On Saturday, Somalia urged Kenya to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu, assuring that it will correspond by reopening its embassy in Nairobi. Kenya said that it is ready waiting to renew the ties with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Kenya has indicated its intention of resuming diplomatic relations with Somalia as it accepted the invitation to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu. In a note through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Kenya said it welcomed the invitation from Somalia to restore diplomatic relations between the two nations. Government of the Republic of Kenya will proceed to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu as soon as possible,” Kenya said. It further urged Somalia’s ambassador to return to Nairobi and resume his duties. On Saturday, Somalia urged Kenya to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu, assuring that it will correspond by reopening its embassy in Nairobi.
“The Foreign Affairs Ministry presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and has the honor to reiterate that the Federal Government of Somalia has announced to normalise the diplomatic relations between the two countries” according to a Somali Foreign Ministry statement. “The resumption of full diplomatic relations will be a positive start to the commencement of bilateral discussions between the two nations,” the note from Somalia read.
Kenya added that its Ministry of Foreign Affairs availed itself to renew the ties with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Government of Somalia. Recently, Kenya reopened its airspace to flights originating from Somalia after suspension. Kenya had suspended flights originating from Somalia for almost a month as relations between the two countries became frostier.
Somalia, while welcoming the resumption of flights, affirmed its commitment to restore and accelerate diplomatic, trade, and people-to-people relations for the prosperity of Somalia and Kenya.
“The Federal Government of Somalia, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation avails itself at the earliest opportunity and proposes formation for a joint committee with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Government of Kenya to come up with modalities leading to full restoration of diplomatic ties between the two nations,” Somalia said through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source: The Star, Kenya