Speech by President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed at the State Banquet

His Excellency President Isaias Afwerki

Distinguished delegates, Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great honor for me and my delegation to be here in Asmara, beautiful capital of Eritrea at your invitation. Your Excellency, Indeed, this is a true historic visit for me and the two nations. I am very grateful for your reception and hospitality accorded to me and my delegation. I want thank the great people of Eritrea who showed up today in the streets of Asmara for their warm welcome and express the historic ties and connection towards their brothers and sisters in Somalia.

Your Excellency, under your leadership, I am confident we will turn this historic day into common progress and prosperity for our two people. I have very productive discussion with his Excellency President Isaias Afwerki in which we focused on strengthening our two sides’ bilateral relations that are not only historical but also an absolute necessity for the bright future we want to build together. We both understand that as a brotherly countries and regional partners, our future is interdependent. We also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, economic development and regional integration. Somalia and Eritrea are two nations which will benefit from enhancing levels of cooperation in these vital areas as both have similar challenges to overcome. The effective partnership Somali government envisions is one where our two nations collaborate and our people come together in harmony and where in the future our diplomatic mission fly our two flags probably in our two sisters capital and where our goods freely travel across our region. The Somali government is truly committed.

The Somali government welcomes the most recent peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the entire horn of Africa will surely benefit from this new era of peace, friendship and regional solidarity. Eritrea is a valuable and stakeholder of the future of horn of Africa and my government looks forward to working with your government for benefit of all people in our region. In other words, we urge all economic sanctions and embargo imposed on the people of Eritrea must be lifted so that the economic integration of horn of Africa region be realized and to establish free trade agreement which promotes freedom of movement of goods and people.

I thank you.