Wednesday August 6, 2025
Delegates attend the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, where discussions focused on infrastructure development, regional trade, and global partnerships. Somalia participated in the summit to strengthen its role in regional integration and attract investment in its ports and transport corridors. (Photo: SONNA/Handout)
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia has defended its participation in a United Nations-backed summit for landlocked countries, saying the move aligns with its economic strategy to boost regional integration and attract investment in its ports and transport infrastructure.
Deputy Foreign Minister Isaak Mohamud Mursal, who led Somalia’s delegation to the conference in Awaza, Turkmenistan, said the country’s engagement supports broader goals of facilitating trade across the Horn of Africa.
“Somalia is committed to playing an active role in supporting landlocked nations and strengthening shared regional development,” Mursal said. “This also presents an opportunity to position Somalia as a vital logistics hub.”
The summit, part of the U.N.'s 2024–2034 Awaza Programme of Action, focused on improving trade access for landlocked countries through infrastructure partnerships, port access, and streamlined customs processes. The initiative encourages cooperation between coastal and interior states to reduce logistical barriers to global markets.
Mursal said Somalia hopes to use its strategic location and long coastline to foster economic ties with neighbouring nations seeking reliable access to seaports.
“By participating in this summit, we’re opening doors for investment in Somalia’s ports and in overland transport corridors that can serve the region more efficiently and cost-effectively,” he added.
The delegation’s attendance has sparked debate at home, especially after Somalia’s recent opposition to maritime military drills by landlocked countries near its coastline. Government officials have sought to separate economic diplomacy from defence matters, stating that engagement with landlocked countries on trade does not contradict its maritime policy.
Somalia, with over 3,000 kilometres of coastline along the Indian Ocean, is attempting to position itself as a regional gateway for East African trade and logistics. The country’s location offers vital access to inland markets across Ethiopia, South Sudan, and beyond—making infrastructure development and international cooperation key pillars of its recovery agenda.