Discussions have been launched on the second phase of the withdrawal of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) forces.
Thus far, ATMIS has withdrawn 2,000 of its forces from the East African nation.
It is now expected to reduce its forces by a further 3,000 before the end of September.
As part of its drawdown, ATMIS also handed over six forward operating bases (FOBs) around the country to Somali security agencies.
On Thursday, top Somali government officials were in discussions with ATMIS representatives on phase 2 of the drawdown.
The Head of ATMIS, Souef Mohamed El-Amine, led his delegation in the discussions.
He said a joint technical committee comprising members from the Somali government, ATMIS, and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) would be formed to oversee the second phase.