In a significant diplomatic and economic breakthrough, senior officials, diplomats, and business leaders from Somaliland and Israel held high-level talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marking a promising new chapter in bilateral relations.
The closed-door meeting focused on expanding trade and investment opportunities, with in-depth discussions on collaboration across key sectors including agriculture, energy, technology, healthcare, infrastructure, ports, fisheries, mining, and finance.
Somaliland’s Minister of Trade and Tourism, Abdirahman Hassan Nur, emphasized his country’s openness to the world, declaring that Somaliland is ready to warmly welcome international investors and global business partners.
The landmark gathering was organized by Somaliland’s Ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi. The Somaliland delegation included the Governor of the Central Bank, senior officials from the National Insurance Agency, and representatives from the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce.
On the Israeli side, the Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia attended in person, while Israel’s Ambassador to Somaliland Lotem Michael participated virtually.
Ambassador Mohamed Hagi posted the following statement:
“It is an honor for me to organize and bring together investors, business leaders, and economic partners from Somaliland and Israel to explore new opportunities in trade, investment, innovation, and sustainable economic cooperation.
During the Somaliland-Israel business summit, discussions focused on investment opportunities in ports, supply chains and logistics, energy, fisheries, technology, agriculture, infrastructure, finance, healthcare, and mining.
The objective of the summit is to establish a strong foundation for the Republic of Somaliland to benefit from Israel’s expertise in business, finance, and investment, while Israel gains access to the East African market through Somaliland, which is positioned to serve as a gateway for many countries and businesses entering the region.”
This rare engagement reflects deepening mutual interest between the two nations and sets the stage for substantial investments that could drive economic growth in Somaliland while providing Israeli companies with valuable access to the Horn of Africa market.