MEA Secretary Sripriya Ranganathan visited Mogadishu to meet Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, discussing maritime security, counter-terrorism, and capacity building to strengthen bilateral defence ties between India and Somalia.
MEA Secretary Ranganathan Visits Mogadishu for Bilateral Defence Talks
Sripriya Ranganathan, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, on Saturday called on Somalian Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi during her bilateral visit. During the meeting, the duo held discussions on an array of matters pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation, including maritime security, counter-terrorism and capacity building. They also exchanged views on the regional security environment.
Highlighting the meeting, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X, “Secretary(CPV&OIA) @ranganathan_sr called on H.E Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Defence Minister of Somalia. Discussions pertained to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in the fields of maritime security, counter-terrorism and capacity building. They also shared views on the evolving regional security environment.”
The MEA Secretary arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday for official engagements with Somalia’s leadership, marking the first high-level bilateral visit from India to the Horn of Africa nation in recent years. Announcing the arrival on X, the High Commission of India in Nairobi, which is concurrently accredited to Somalia, said the visit is aimed at building upon the “longstanding and friendly ties between the two countries”.