Somaliland’s relations with Taiwan are the best they have ever been, the East African territory’s top diplomat, who is leading a delegation to Taiwan, said Friday, while side stepping questions about whether the two sides will establish diplomatic ties.
“You guys are stuck with the diplomatic relations! I don’t know why,” commented Essa Kayd, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, after being bombarded with questions at a press conference about whether Taiwan and Somaliland are looking to establish formal relations.
“Taiwan and my country, Somaliland, have the highest multifaceted relations. The highest. The best. We cannot have any better than that,” Kayd said, without providing a direct answer.
“Now, whether you want to frame that diplomatic … I’ll leave that to you guys,” he added.
Financial development minister’s comments
At the same time, Saad Ali Shire, Somaliland’s minister of financial development, said Somaliland’s relationship with Taiwan “is defined by actions not by words.”
“We have been received with full diplomatic protocols. And we leave that to you how you define [it], and we will reciprocate that in Somaliland,” the minister said.
Somaliland and Taiwan share common aspirations, principles, values and interests, he said. “Our relationship is meant to be beneficial, not only to Somaliland and Taiwan, but to the global community. It’s not meant to be adversary.”
Bilateral ties between Somaliland and Taiwan have warmed over the past few years, despite strong objections from China, which considers Taiwan part of Chinese territory, and Somalia, which claims sovereignty over Somaliland.
Warming ties
Taipei opened a representative office in Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa on Aug. 17, 2020, while the Somaliland authorities opened a reciprocal office in Taipei the following month on Sept. 9.
Bilateral collaboration on telecommunications, trade, public health and agriculture has been progressing as planned following the opening of the two representative offices, Kayd said.
According to the delegation, Taiwan has invested in Somaliland and provided funds, while offering scholarships to support the education of Somaliland students.
At the same time, the diplomat said Somaliland was open to engaging in relations with other countries that respect Somaliland and wish to do business with the territory without imposing any preconditions.
“Somaliland is a sovereign country. Nobody can dictate to Somaliland … We will own our business the way we want. China cannot dictate. Not a country can dictate,” Kayd said. “We are born free and we will stay free.”
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after years of conflict. It has offices in about a dozen countries, according to its foreign ministry’s website, but does not have formal diplomatic relations with any nation.
Recently, Somaliland has stepped up its efforts to seek support from other countries such as the United States. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that its President Muse Bihi Abdi plans to visit Washington in March to explore areas for bilateral collaboration.
The Somaliland delegation, which includes several ministers, arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, and has met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and other top Taiwanese officials over the past few days.
During its meeting with Tsai on Wednesday, the delegation pitched trade and investment opportunities to Taiwanese officials, saying that the self-governing territory has rich natural resources such as hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and coal as well as other rare minerals.
According to Kayd, Somaliland is also looking to collaborate with Taiwan to develop and enhance the capability and capacity of its Coast Guard.
Kayd stressed that Somaliland, which is located on the Horn of Africa and close to the entrance to the Red Sea, has become “a very strategic area of the world.”
Somaliland needs equipment, such as speedboats, drones and helicopters, and training for its Coast Guard in order to keep its coast free of piracy, terrorism, as well as other illegal activities, he added.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel