Sa’ar Makes Historic First Diplomatic Visit to Somaliland, Signals Push for Mutual Recognition
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, has described his official visit to Somaliland as historic, declaring Israel’s determination to deepen relations and pursue formal diplomatic ties with the self-declared state.
Sa’ar, who visited Somaliland at the invitation of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, said the trip marked the first official diplomatic visit by an Israeli foreign minister to the territory and sent a clear message about Israel’s foreign policy direction.
“It’s a great privilege to conduct the first official diplomatic visit to Somaliland, at the invitation of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi,” Sa’ar said.
He noted that the visit underscored Israel’s resolve to advance bilateral relations with Somaliland, stressing that discussions held in Hargeisa covered a broad range of political and strategic issues.
“The visit is also a message: We are determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland,” he stated.
“Today, we held substantive discussions with the President and senior members of his government on the full range of our relations.”
The Israeli foreign minister emphasised that efforts toward mutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations were not intended to undermine any third party.
“The mutual recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries are not directed against anyone. Our shared objective is to promote the mutual benefit of both nations and countries,” Sa’ar said.
Reaffirming Israel’s sovereignty in foreign policy decisions, Sa’ar declared that recognition of states remains an exclusive decision of the Israeli government.
“In Hargeisa, I made it clear: Only Israel will decide whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations,” he added.
Sa’ar also revealed that President Abdullahi had accepted an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Israel, signalling a potential next step in strengthening ties between both sides.
“The President of Somaliland informed me that he has accepted PM Netanyahu’s invitation and will pay an official visit to Israel,” Sa’ar disclosed.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognised, has in recent years intensified diplomatic engagements with various countries as part of efforts to gain global legitimacy.
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