Somalia: President lands in Egypt for EU-Arab League Summit

SHARM EL-SHEIKH - Somali President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and a high-level delegation he is leading left the country for Egypt on Saturday, Garowe Online reports.

The office of the president said in a statement that Farmajo will attend two-day EU-Arab League Summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh, opening on Sunday, February 23.

The summit which becomes the first time bring together the heads of state or government from both organizations will be co-chaired by the European Council President Donald Tusk with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

Reports said that the forum will seek to strengthen ties between the two sides and cooperation over migration and the conflict in some Arab countries, including Yemen, Libya, and Syria.

Villa Somalia announced that the president will hold bilateral talks with some Arab and EU leaders on the sidelines of the Sharm El-Sheikh conference to boost his country's relations with the world.

Farmajo's trip to Egypt comes amid a soaring diplomatic spat with neighboring Kenya over oil blocks in the disputed maritime border.

Last week, Kenya summoned its ambassador to Somalia back home after the Somali government’s decision to auction oil and gas exploration blocks at London conference, February 7.

The two countries are embroiled in a legal tussle at the International Court of Justice over their territorial waters in the Indian Ocean that has been running since 2014. 

GAROWE ONLINE