The Republic of Somaliland Representative Office in Taiwan was yesterday inaugurated by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Somaliland Representative to Taiwan Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud, with both emphasizing the nations’ common values of freedom and democracy, and cooperation on trade and energy sources.
The Taiwan Representative Office in Somaliland was opened in Hargeisa on Aug. 17. It is the nation’s only embassy that has “Taiwan” in its English name.
While Taiwan and Somaliland do not have diplomatic relations, the announcement in July of the planned representative offices brought condemnation from China and Somalia, with each saying that their territorial integrity is indivisible.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Taiwan and Somaliland have since 2009 collaborated on healthcare, education and maritime security, and the new office’s opening marks a new chapter in bilateral relations, Wu said, naming fisheries, energy and agriculture among the areas targeted for cooperation.
The two nations “share a commitment to safeguarding the values of freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law,” he said. “We both face external pressures, but we are proud of our sovereignty and ready to defend it.”
“From now on, Taiwan is your second home,” Wu told Mohamoud and diplomatic personnel from Hargeisa.
In his speech, Mohamoud described Somaliland-Taiwan ties as a special and historic relationship between “two champions of democracies in Africa and Asia.”
Somaliland is a free, democratic, independent and sovereign nation, that has established bilateral relations with many other countries in Africa, North America, Europe and Asia, he said.
The path to a more prosperous world is through dialogue and cooperation, not through the pursuit of a foreign policy that infringes on the affairs of other nations and sows the seeds of division, he added.
The Somaliland government is encouraging international investment through incentives such as tax exemptions and land leases, he said.
The nation’s resources of hydrocarbon deposits, coal, gemstones and industrial minerals are worth the investment, he said, adding that seismic surveys have indicated potential oil and gas deposits in the nation.
Ecotourism is another potential area for investment, with visitors encouraged to explore ancient caves, beautiful beaches and mountains, and spectacular landscapes, he added.
Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi sent his best wishes in a prerecorded video.
“With the global economy shifting, and the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden becoming focal points of international interest, we believe that it is time for Somaliland to initiate efforts to strengthen relations in areas of common interest that may promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation among equals with your country and all other nations in the world,” he said. “The bilateral accord of our two countries is based on our common values of freedom and democracy. It is a spirit of mutual assistance that will never expose any harm whatsoever to the interests of other countries, but rather contributes to international peace and regional economic activities.”
The Somaliland office is on Ningbo W Street in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District (中正), although yesterday’s ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, reportedly due to the office’s limited space.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old