Somalia banks on economic recovery to stabilise Somalia and defeat terrorists, says Foreign Minister
muqdisho 05.Dec 2013 (SDN)- Accelerating commercial and economic recovery will spell the final defeat of terrorists in Somalia, Her Excellency Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, said in Paris today.
Speaking ahead of the two-day Élysée Summit for Peace and Security in Africa hosted by the French President François Hollande, the Foreign Minister invited foreign groups to invest in Somalia.
“I encourage all foreign companies looking for commercial opportunities in new markets to give serious consideration to Somalia, a country that is recovering from conflict and is open for business. When they arrive they will find one of the most commercially minded populations in Africa and a people who thrive on free trade. Our economic recovery is already underway and I invite dynamic, entrepreneurial companies to be a part of it.”
The Foreign Minister met Stève Gentili, Presdent of BRED-Banque Populaire, France’s second largest bank, and had a wide-ranging discussion about the Somali government’s ongoing reforms, commercial opportunities for French and foreign companies in Somalia and foreign investment legislation.
“A strong and stable Somalia will allow our natural entrepreneurial talents to flourish freely,” the Minister said. “We must remember that a prosperous Somalia is the nail in the coffin for Al Shabaab.”
The Foreign Minister is attending the two-day Élysée Summit for Peace and Security in Africa, which is set to bring together heads of state and leaders of more than 50 countries, together with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlaimini Zuma, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and senior representatives from the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank.
Somalia’s delegation includes General Bashir Mohamed Jama, head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency.
More news on Twitter from @FawziaYusufAdam
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow)
Senior Advisor & Spokesperson to the President of Somalia