Your Excellency Vladamir Putin, President of the Russian Federation,
Your Excellency Abdelfatah Al Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Chairperson of the African Union
Your Excellences, Heads of State and Governments
It is a great honour and privilege to be addressing you all at this historic first gathering of African-Russian dialogue and cooperation in this beautiful city of Sochi. Before I proceed, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Russian government and people for the warm welcome and hospitality my delegation and I have received. I also congratulate the Russian government and the African Union for organising this Summit successfully under the leadership of their Excellences President Vladimir Putin and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
EXCELLENCIES, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN,
Indeed, this Summit is a real opportunity to re-evaluate and build on Africa’s historic relations with Russia through enhanced cooperation and partnership for common progress and prosperity. In this interconnected world, despite having been in two different continents with often vast contrasts, our futures have been more intertwined. Therefore, I am hopeful that this Summit will pave the way for a new and strengthened mechanisms of beneficial cooperation and collaboration which will create the conditions for advancing our common agenda for prosperity.
Russia is a historical partner of Africa. This Summit therefore reminds us the importance of reviving this historical relationship between our two sides. Indeed, we must re-double our efforts and engagements to ensure that our two side’s new relations translate into opportunities for our countries and people. Furthermore, we must strengthen our two sides cultural cooperation and exchanges to provide the opportunities for our governments, institutions and citizens to build on their bonds of friendship with meaningful partnerships to foster the entrepreneurship and creativity that will benefit us for generations to come.
EXCELLENCES, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN,
Somalia and Russia enjoy historical ties in which we have benefitted socially, educationally, economically and militarily from Russian’s support in the past. We need to revive our bilateral relations in fighting and confronting international terrorism, economics and trade, cultural exchange and knowledge transfer through institutional partnership. Somalia stands ready to work with Russian, our African brothers and all other major partners to deliver common progress and prosperity for our people.
EXCELLENCES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Somalia is on the path to stability and economic recovery. We have abundant natural and human resources, vast arable land for agriculture, the longest coast in continental Africa, a youthful dynamic population seeking opportunities and a government that is determined to transform the nation through good leadership firmly anchored on the principles of good governance. Therefore, I invite all investors, Russian and African to come and explore the many great opportunities in Somalia for a sustainably profitable future.
EXCELLENCES, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN,
I would like to conclude by thanking and congratulating the Government of Russia and the African Union for organizing this successful with remarkable success. Somalia looks forward to forging ahead with all stakeholders at this table in moving Africa-Russian partnership forward for common progress and prosperity. Accordingly, the Somali Federal Government welcomes the Declaration of this Summit and sees it as an important guiding document for what Africa and Russia seek to achieve together going forward.
I thank you all.
