VENICE, Italy — Somalia’s navy chief, Gen. Abdiwahab Abdullahi Omar, has attended an international naval conference in Venice focused on strengthening maritime security, cooperation and information sharing among countries with maritime interests.
Omar took part in the 15th International Seapower Symposium, hosted by the Italian Navy at its historic Arsenal complex in Venice. The conference brought together naval chiefs and senior maritime officials from countries around the world, including Somalia.
Discussions focused on a range of maritime security issues, including the protection of international waters, monitoring undersea cables, developing modern naval equipment and strengthening cooperation among countries with maritime territories. Participants also discussed sharing information on shipping and maritime traffic, as well as responding to emerging strategic challenges.
Addressing the conference, Omar said Somalia’s strategic location and extensive coastline placed it along important maritime routes connecting international trade and communities. He said Mogadishu was seeking to strengthen maritime cooperation with countries around the world while increasing efforts to safeguard its territorial waters.
“Somalia, due to its strategic location and its important maritime route connecting global trade and communities, is strengthening its relations with countries around the world that have maritime routes,” Omar said, according to a statement issued by the Somali Navy.
During his visit to Italy, Omar also signed agreements that formally brought Somalia into two international maritime cooperation networks: the Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre (V-RMTC) and the Trans-Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN).
The networks are designed to facilitate maritime information sharing and cooperation between participating countries, particularly on vessel movements and maritime traffic. Somali officials said joining the two networks would strengthen the country’s ability to exchange information with international maritime partners.
Somalia has one of Africa’s longest coastlines and sits along major shipping routes linking the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The country has also been working with international partners to strengthen maritime security following years of piracy and other threats at sea.
Omar also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference with Qatar’s navy commander, Maj. Gen. Abdullah Hassan Al-Sulaiti, and Turkey’s naval chief, Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu.
The meetings focused on strengthening maritime and defence cooperation between Somalia, Qatar and Turkey, according to the Somali Navy.
Somalia has maintained close security ties with both Qatar and Turkey, which have supported efforts to develop the country’s armed forces and maritime capabilities.
The Somali Navy’s participation in the Venice conference and membership in the two maritime networks comes as Mogadishu seeks to expand international cooperation aimed at improving control of its waters and protecting vital maritime routes.
