Representatives of the Somali foreign ministry met with officials from the breakaway region of Abkhazia in Georgia during an international economic conference in Sokhumi on April 3–4, the administration’s foreign ministry said.
Somalia does not officially recognize Abkhazia as an independent state. However, local media outlet Apsnypress reported that Somali representatives, Ismail Hassan Nur and Muna Adan Abdi, expressed the need to establish diplomatic relations.
The media outlet also quoted Abkhazian officials as telling the Somali delegation that they were happy to attend the conference and hoped that this would be a step towards strengthening ties in the future.
Abkhazia also said that the region has a well-equipped army and is developing education and health in cooperation with Russia, which it describes as a strategic ally.
Abkhazia also said it has significant opportunities in the transport and port sectors, with infrastructure being developed, while the opening of the Sokhumi airport, according to the region’s foreign minister, offers hope for the future.
The Abkhazian government added that it is open to international cooperation and wants to establish friendly relations with any country ready for constructive dialogue.
Most of the international community recognizes Abkhazia as part of the Georgian mainland. Only five countries—Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, and Syria—recognize it as an independent state.
On the other hand, HOL, which contacted the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that it did not send anyone to the meeting. They said that the participants were not from the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that they were investigating the matter.
