Xi calls for closer cooperation with Somalia

President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Monday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi said that China and Somalia have always understood, supported and helped each other over the past 60 years no matter how the international situation has changed.

Xi noted that during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September 2018, he and Mohamed reached an important consensus on developing China-Somalia relations, and the two sides have joined hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi, noting the great importance he attaches to the development of China-Somalia relations, said he is ready to work with his Somali counterpart to take the 60th anniversary as an opportunity to further implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 this year.

Xi also expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

Mohamed said in his message the friendly relations and great cooperation between Somalia and China in many fields have developed continuously over the past 60 years.

The Somali government and the people highly value the close cooperation and friendship with China, and his country will always be a friend of China, he said.

He said that he looks forward to working closely with President Xi to further deepen and expand bilateral friendly cooperation and add benefits to the two countries and their peoples.