The Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, reaffirmed Libya's support for Somalia's candidacy for non-permanent membership in the Security Council this year as a representative of Arab and African countries, expressing his confidence in its ability to defend the interests of Arab and African peoples and countries at the Council.
This came during a joint press conference he held with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud in the capital, Tripoli, on Monday, according to his media office, which reported Menfi's welcome to the Somali President and his accompanying delegation, after a busy day during which the two countries signed a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding regarding joint cooperation in several fields as well as the resumption of the bilateral consultation mechanism and the work of the Joint High Committee.
"Our relations with Somalia are solid and strong," he said, stressing that the two countries will continue to work to develop them on the bilateral level and on the level of joint role regionally and internationally. He pointed out that cooperation between Libya and Somalia "is not limited to what was signed today," noting that "it will include investment and cooperation in the fields of training and education."
"We reaffirm our support for Somalia, the representative of the Arabs and the African Union in the Security Council this year, as it has proven that it is up to the responsibility of defending the interests of our peoples and countries with the rest of the brothers within the African Group in the Security Council A3, which is (Algeria - Sierra Leone) in addition to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which joined the African Group to form the A3+ Group."
On Monday, Manfi held bilateral talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, during which they reviewed the means to develop bilateral relations between the two countries and resume cooperation in a number of sectors, as well as agreeing to coordinate positions in African and international forums.
