Acting Iran FM welcomes restoration of relations with Somalia

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met with Iran’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the sidelines of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met with Iran’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Bagheri on Thursday in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the sidelines of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

During the meeting, the caretaker Iranian foreign minister welcomed the Somali government’s initiative to pave the path for the resumption of ties between the two countries.

“We believe that Islamic countries should boost their ties in line with common interests and benefits and confrontation with enemies of the Muslim world,” Bagheri stressed, adding, “We have no restrictions to improve and expand our relations with African states.”

The interim Iranian foreign minister also raised the issue of the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in the past ten months and the killing of innocent and unarmed people with the most advanced US weapons.

Citing past experiences, Bagheri warned Israel is not only a threat to the Palestinian people, but also to the entire Islamic ummah (nation), and emphasized that Islamic states should “have a practical voice, policy, and action against the Zionist regime’s threats.”

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed foreign minister of Somalia said he was pleased to get the opportunity for the meeting.

Moallim Fiqi elaborated on his country's supportive stance in the Palestinian issue and rebuked Israel's aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sovereignty and stability.

He also offered his condolences on the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.

The top Somali diplomat reiterated, “We respect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s role in supporting the Palestinian issue and defending the rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation.”

He also appreciated Iran's support for the stability and security in Somalia by dealing with the ominous phenomenon of terrorism.

Moallim Fiqi also noted that his country is trying to develop and deepen the ties between Mogadishu and Tehran and open a new page in the ties between the two countries.