Somali Foreign Minister to visit India next week

Amid India's growing ties with Africa, the Foreign Minister of Somalia Yusuf-Garaad Omar will pay a five-day visit to the country next week during which he will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

Omar will be visiting from July 31-August 4. This will be Omar's first visit to India since he assumed office earlier this year. 

The two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, a statement said. 

Both sides will also ink the Agreement for Transfer of Sentenced Persons during the visit.

The Union Cabinet had in June given its approval for the ratification of the agreement on transfer of sentenced persons between India and Somalia, located on the Horn of Africa. 

Earlier this year, India had thanked Somalia for rescuing 10 of its nationals held by pirates.

The Indians were working as crew on a commercial vessel - Al Kausar -- which was hijacked by pirates off the Indian Ocean coast near Yemen.

The Somali security forces liberated the vessel in April this year.

India also offers Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training scholarships and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships to Somalia.

Somalia is among the partner countries of India's Pan African e-Network project. 

India-Somalia bilateral trade stood at $391.05 million in 2014-15, a more than 51 per cent increase over the figure of $257.27 million in 2013-14.

The Somali Foreign Minister will also travel to Mumbai and Hyderabad during the course of his visit.

India has been increasing its engagement with Africa, including through a series of high level visits in the last two years -- by then President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Delhi also hosted the India Africa Forum Summit in October 2015 that saw all 54 African nations participating.

Earlier this year, India also hosted the annual meeting of African Development Bank.  - IANS