Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan and Somaliland have strengthened their diplomatic and strategic partnership by signing a new cooperation agreement focused on maritime security and the blue economy, marking a significant milestone in their growing bilateral relations.
Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, was received in Taipei on Thursday by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, where the two leaders witnessed the signing of the landmark accord, which includes provisions for coast guard cooperation.
“With today’s coast guard agreement and expansion into areas like maritime security and the blue economy, our nations are writing a new chapter in our partnership and demonstrating the resilience of democratic alliances,” President Lai declared.
The agreement is seen as a major step toward deepening Taiwan-Somaliland cooperation, especially in the strategically vital Red Sea and Gulf of Aden corridors. It will see Taiwan provide support for Somaliland’s coast guard development, personnel training, maritime surveillance, and sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally, established formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2020 — a move that drew sharp criticism from Beijing and Mogadishu alike. Nevertheless, both Taipei and Hargeisa have defended the relationship as one between two self-governing democracies committed to shared values.
Adam hailed the new agreement as a “sign of mutual trust and shared ambition,” noting that maritime security cooperation is vital not only for Somaliland’s economic future but also for regional stability.
Taiwan has previously supported Somaliland with infrastructure development, medical missions, ICT support, and technical cooperation, particularly in agriculture and health. The new focus on maritime collaboration aligns with Taiwan’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy and Somaliland’s efforts to modernize its maritime governance.
The visit and agreement come at a time of increasing global interest in the Horn of Africa, where geopolitical rivalries and maritime routes converge. Both parties emphasized that their cooperation is peaceful and development-focused.
As Taiwan faces diplomatic isolation under pressure from China, alliances like the one with Somaliland represent rare but significant breakthroughs in its foreign policy — reinforcing Taiwan’s global outreach through partnerships with like-minded entities.