The President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud “Siilaanyo” on Sunday met a visiting EU delegation led by Michele Cervone D’Urso, EU Ambassador to Somalia and Deputy Ambassador of UK to Ethiopia.
The meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa and continued for an hour. Deputy President Abdirahman Sayli’i, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire and Minister of Presidency Mohamoud Hashi Abdi attended the meeting along with the President.
According to a press release by the spokesman of the Presidency, Mr. Siilaanyo thanked the EU delegation for their generous support to the people of Somaliland and expressed his condolences over the terrorist attacks in Nice, Brussels and Munich.
“I appreciate the fruitful collaboration between Somaliland and the EU and hope we will further strengthen it” President Siilaanyo said.
President Siilaanyo made it clear to the EU ambassador that Somaliland is not totally part of Somalia’s election process and that no group has the legitimacy to represent Somaliland in that process.
Moreover, President Silanyo reaffirmed the EU delegation that Somaliland elections will take place on time in March 2017.
Ambassador Michele Cervone D’Urso on his side thanked President Silanyo for welcoming his delegation to the Presidency and praised Somaliland’s democracy and elections. He told the President that EU strongly believes that Somaliland elections should take place as per plan in 2017.
In the afternoon, Ambassador Michele Cervone D’Urso and his delegation met the chairman of the ruling party Mr. Muse Bihi Abdi who is also the presidential candidate for Kulmiye party.
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