Mogadishu, Somalia – Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Egeh, held a high-level meeting today with James Swan, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative (SRSG) for Somalia. The discussions, held in Mogadishu, centered on bolstering cooperation between Somalia and the UN in critical areas of mutual interest.
According to official sources, the talks focused on advancing Somalia’s economic reform agenda, strengthening international partnerships, and enhancing support for ongoing stabilization operations across the country. Egeh reiterated Somalia’s strong commitment to achieving fiscal discipline, improving domestic revenue collection, and fostering an investment-friendly climate.
“Somalia continues to make steady progress in reforming its public financial systems, and we welcome the continued support and engagement of our international partners, especially the United Nations,” Egeh stated following the meeting.
Swan commended the Federal Government of Somalia for its commitment to reform, particularly in the areas of financial transparency and good governance. He emphasized the UN’s readiness to continue supporting Somalia’s state-building efforts, economic development, and stabilization programs, particularly in regions recovering from conflict and insecurity.
This meeting comes at a time when Somalia is pursuing deeper integration into global financial systems and institutions, following the successful completion of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative last year, which significantly reduced the nation’s external debt burden.
Both parties agreed on the importance of aligning development assistance with Somalia’s national priorities and pledged to maintain open channels of communication to ensure the effectiveness of joint efforts.
Today’s engagement marks another step forward in the ongoing collaboration between the Somali government and the United Nations as the country navigates a complex path toward long-term peace, stability, and economic resilience.