ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Somalia on Saturday signed an agreement granting visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic passports, marking a new step in strengthening bilateral relations.
The agreement was signed during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yousuf in Islamabad, according to a statement from the President Secretariat.
The document was signed by Dawood Muhammad Baraech, Special Secretary at Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, and Hamza Adan Haadoow, Permanent Secretary of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding engagement with African nations, describing Somalia as an important partner. He said Pakistan supports deeper cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including security and governance.
Officials said the Somali interior minister’s visit marked the first official bilateral trip from Somalia to Pakistan in more than three decades.
Discussions also covered collaboration on law enforcement, criminal justice and efforts to counter transnational crime and narcotics trafficking.
Ali Yousuf thanked the Pakistani government for its hospitality and conveyed greetings from Somalia’s president. He described Pakistan as a longstanding partner and recalled the contribution of Pakistani peacekeepers during UN missions in Somalia in the 1990s.
Both sides agreed to continue dialogue aimed at expanding cooperation across diplomatic and institutional channels.
