▲ Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (left) meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 14 (local time).
The president of Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia 35 years ago but remains an unrecognized state, has made a state visit to Israel, the first country to recognize it as a sovereign nation late last year.
AFP and other news agencies reported that Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi held a summit with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 14 (local time).
Regarding the visit, President Abdullahi expressed his gratitude, stating, "This is the first state visit by a Somaliland president to another country. For the past 35 years, Somaliland has asked leaders of various nations to look at us, but only Israel has looked at us and recognized us."
President Herzog remarked, "Both our countries face the threat of extremism, pursue regional security and stability, and emphasize the importance of protecting freedom of navigation. This visit demonstrates the potential of a remarkable new partnership between our two nations."
Located on the northwestern coast of Somalia in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 following the ousting of then-President Siad Barre.
Somalia does not recognize Somaliland's independence.
However, taking advantage of the two decades of civil war in Somalia, Somaliland has been operating its own government, possessing its own military and currency, and holding multiple elections, including presidential elections.
In December of last year, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state and agreed to establish diplomatic relations.
Shortly thereafter, in January of this year, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar visited Somaliland, and both countries have since appointed ambassadors to each other's nations.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.