During his opening speech at the Somali Diaspora Conference in Doha on Monday, Somalia’s prime minister urged fostering “peace, development and prosperity” in the Horn of Africa.

During his state visit to Qatar, Somalian Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barrethe met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Horn of Africa.

In the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed also underscored Qatar’s “unwavering support for Somalia,” according to a statement from the foreign affairs ministry issued on Monday.

Last month, Prime Minister Barre described Qatar as an “important partner” for his country and thanked the Gulf state for its support.

These remarks were made during an inspection of the final construction stages of the government presidency building complex in Mogadishu.

The project, which is funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), will include the prime minister’s office and residence, government headquarters, a guest house and a mosque.

The QFFD has also been at the forefront of supporting the East African country during occurrences of drought, food shortages and when in need of medical aid and infrastructure building.

Somali Diaspora Conference

Prime Minister Barre left Somalia for Qatar on Sunday.

Aside from meeting Sheikh Mohammed and other Qatari officials, Barre is attending the two-day Somali Diaspora Conference in Doha.

The theme of the conference is “Harnessing the Power of the Somali Diaspora for a Better and Prosperous Somalia,” for which Barre officiated the opening.

During his address, Barre praised the Somali diaspora’s contributions to nation-rebuilding efforts and encouraged them to intensify their support for the country’s development.

He also said to the attendees of hundreds of Somalis from across the world that it was their duty to “realise the hopes and goals of the Somali people, which include peace, development, and prosperity,” a statement from the prime ministerial office read.

Barre was joined by a ministerial delegation, which included Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, minister of education, Ali Omar, deputy minister of foreign affairs and Abshir Bukhaari, the deputy minister of Villa Somalia.

Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi also attended the event’s opening.