Somali official says friendship between two countries intact

The recent al-Shabaab terrorist attack in Somalia that killed a member of the Chinese embassy's security staff and seriously damaged embassy facilities will not affect the friendly relationship between China and Somalia, and the Somali government will offer all necessary support to help relocate the embassy to a safe place, Somalia's foreign minister said on Thursday.

Abdusalam H. Omer, minister of Foreign Affairs & Investment Promotion of Somalia, also said Somalia has made great strides in fighting al-Shabaab, which claimed to be responsible for the attack.

The country is expecting more cooperation from the international community, including China, in its flight against the al-Qaida-linked militant group and in stabilizing towns and villages that have been liberated, Omer said.