Tokyo, Japan – Somalia’s Minister of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development, Mohamud Beene Beene, held a series of high-level bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), signaling Mogadishu’s deepening engagement with Japan and its development partners.
In his discussions with Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Beenebeene underscored Somalia’s priority areas of economic recovery, infrastructure investment, and human capital development. Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation, with Japan pledging to continue supporting Somalia’s peacebuilding and state-building agenda.
Beenebeene also met with Ms. Katsura Miyazaki, Executive Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The meeting focused on scaling up JICA’s development programs in Somalia, particularly in energy, agriculture, vocational training, and institutional capacity-building.
In a separate session with members of the Japan–Africa Union Parliamentary League — MPs Kobayashi, Ozaki, Yamada, and Yamamoto — the Somali delegation highlighted opportunities for expanding parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two nations.
The minister also conferred with Mr. Haoliang Xu, UNDP Associate Administrator, to discuss ongoing cooperation on governance, economic resilience, and climate adaptation programs in Somalia. UNDP reiterated its commitment to work with Somalia and international partners in advancing the country’s National Development Plan.
Rounding off his engagements, Beenebeene met with Yohei Sasakawa, President of the Nippon Foundation, with discussions centering on humanitarian partnerships, health initiatives, and community development projects aimed at fostering resilience and social cohesion.
The breadth of these meetings reflects Somalia’s active role at TICAD9, using the platform to mobilize partnerships, attract investment, and reinforce strategic alliances for sustainable growth and stability.
