The Prime Minister of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has arrived for his first visit to Puntland State in northern Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.
TFG Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Gas led a 10-member delegation that included the TFG Education Minister, Health Minister and State Minister for Defense, among other officials.
Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole and Vice President Abdisamad Ali Shire were at the Garowe airport to welcome the Prime Minister’s delegation.
Prime Minister Gas and President Farole addressed the media at the presidential palace in Garowe, where the Prime Minister expressed his delight to visit Garowe.
President Farole said he welcomes the Prime Minister’s “historic visit” to Puntland, while underlining that the TFG delegation members should lead the way in the formation of states like Puntland to bolster the Somali federal government.
It is the first visit to Puntland by Prime Minister Gas since his appointment in June. His predecessor who was in office for eight months, ex-Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, never visited Puntland and was in many cases accused of waging a negative campaign to discredit Puntland at national and at international levels.
Puntland remains the only self-governing stable state that supports a federal system in Somalia, while the rest of the country is ruled by separatists like Somaliland or extremists in southern Somalia.
A press release from the Puntland government stated that expected discussions to include “implementation of TFG-Puntland agreements since 2009, the upcoming Somali National Consultation Conference, political and security cooperation, and sharing of international aid and donations.” PRESS RELEASE: Somalia: Puntland President Welcomes TFG Prime Minister in Garowe
Prime Minister Gas, a native of Puntland, was ex-Prime Minister Farmajo’s Planning and International Cooperation Minister before he was appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister.
GAROWEONLINE
Welcome Home Mr.Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Gas
