Taiwan opened a technical mission in the East African state of Somaliland on Tuesday, launching bilateral cooperation in healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and agriculture.
According to a Facebook post by Taiwan’s representative office in Somaliland, an opening ceremony for the mission was held in its headquarters in the capital city Hargeisa and attended by Taiwan’s top representative to Somaliland Allen Lou (羅震華) and Somaliland’s acting minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Liban Yusuf Osman.
During the ceremony, delegations from both sides also signed an implementing arrangement on a Maternal and Infant Health Improvement Project to enhance bilateral cooperation, the post said.
Both sides also scheduled the signing of an ICT Implementing Arrangement and Agriculture Implementing Arrangement before the end of the year, it added.
Speaking during the ceremony, Lou said Taiwan will continue to share its expertise to help Somaliland improve its healthcare and medical capabilities and benefit Somaliland citizens.
The mission’s opening was made possible after Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and his Somaliland counterpart signed a Technical Cooperation Framework Agreement on behalf of the two governments on Aug. 17, when Taiwan opened its representative office in the country.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991 after a civil war in Somalia. It has offices in about a dozen countries, according to its foreign ministry website, but is not recognized as a sovereign nation by any country.
In February, Taiwan and Somaliland signed an agreement to establish reciprocal representative offices. Taipei opened its office in Somaliland on Aug. 17, while Somaliland opened its office in Taipei on Sept. 9.
