The Somali foreign minister on Friday lauded a Turkish military training camp which is expected to open in Somalia in the coming months.
”This military training camp established by our Turkish friends will be the first professional training camp for the Somali army. That is why it is very important to us,” Yusuf Garaad Omar told Anadolu Agency in Ankara.
”We hope that this base will reinforce the professionalism of our army,” he said.
He added that the facility is very important because Somalia is at the point of renewing its national army.
“I visited the modern facility outside the city,” Omar said.
”We do not have a clear date yet, but we know it will open in a few months,” Omar added.
Speaking about the Qatar-Saudi crisis, he said that Somalia had chosen to stay neutral over the issue.
“Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Somalia, all of these countries are members of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” he said.
”These countries, which are close to Somalia have traditionally been our allies, especially since the independence of our country,” he said.
”We are not satisfied with this diplomatic disagreement. Our position on the issue is neutral. Our call is to resolve this issue through dialogue… This is our position on this,” Omar emphasized.