Postby Futurist » Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:35 pm
Russia wants a permission to construct “a small naval and air facility, housing no more than 1,500 personnel outside the city of Zeila.” The naval facility should serve two destroyer sized ships, four frigate class ships, and two large submarine pens. The air facility will include two airstrips and will be able to host up to “six heavy aircraft and fifteen fighter jets as well as space for fuel, ammunition, and base defenses.”
A lot of Somaliland's traditional allies have seriously underestimated Somaliland's importance and strategic location especially as it is at the mouth of the read sea, on the Gulf of Adan, practically next to the Arabian oil and gas fields, in reaching distance of the Persian Gulf, close proximity to two nuclear powers of India/Pakistan and on China's new silk route. More importantly Somaliland is next to Ethiopia/Djibouti where China has invest BILLIONS and is setting up shop for the long term. Somaliland's strategic international importance will only grow further. Somaliland is also a reliable long term partner having been peaceful and stable for nearly 30 years and getting more stable and secure economically, politically and militarily with every year that passes.
The Russians and UAE have done the math and their homework. The guy leading the negotiations on their behalf is Deputy Consular of Russian Embassy in Ethiopia Yury Kourchakov. Last year May 2017 he visited Hargeisa and held lengthily discussions at the FM offices in Hargeisa. The Russian diplomat who thanked somalilanders for their warm reception adding that he hopes to revisit Somaliland and will do so with a large delagation later this year. A Somaliland delegation then visited Moscow in October 2017 under the guise of visiting muslim Checnyaa region to further progress the talks.
The question is, will the USA and EU catch up? Somaliland is after all still a friendly country that is neutral and non aligned. But they would have to come through with recognition and military/economic pact.
