Jakarta, Indonesia – In a significant diplomatic engagement held Friday at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdisalam Omer Ali met with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn for what was described as “a dynamic and productive discussion,” signaling a potential shift toward deeper cooperation between Somalia and Southeast Asia’s leading regional bloc.
The high-level meeting emphasized the importance of strengthening diplomatic relations and fostering mutual understanding on a range of critical regional and global issues. Both leaders expressed a shared interest in forging “a more robust partnership between ASEAN and Somalia,” according to an official statement released after the talks.
Abdisalam, representing Somalia’s renewed global engagement strategy, praised ASEAN’s regional integration model and highlighted opportunities for cooperation in trade, development, maritime security, and climate resilience—key priorities for Somalia’s foreign policy agenda.
Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn welcomed Somalia’s outreach, noting that ASEAN is open to fostering stronger ties with African nations that share its vision of peace, development, and multilateral cooperation. He added that Somalia’s strategic location along major maritime trade routes offers untapped potential for collaboration in connectivity and blue economy initiatives.
This engagement marks one of the highest-level direct diplomatic exchanges between Somalia and ASEAN, reflecting Mogadishu’s ambition to diversify international partnerships beyond traditional allies and explore new frontiers for economic and political engagement.
Observers say the meeting could pave the way for future dialogues, technical cooperation, and potential observer or partnership frameworks within ASEAN mechanisms.
The visit comes at a time when Somalia is actively repositioning itself on the global stage, seeking stronger multilateral partnerships to support its post-conflict recovery, economic reforms, and regional stability efforts.