Kenya and Somalia have agreed to normalize bilateral relations, despite a raging maritime boundary disagreement.
The agreement was reached at a meeting on Thursday between Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Mohamed Abdallahi Mohamed of the Federal Republic of Somalia in Nairobi.
Abdallahi Mohamed was one of world leaders who were in Kenya for the just concluded International Conference on Population and Development – ICPD25 summit in the Kenyan capital.
Thursday’s agreement started with the restoration of the issuance of travel visas on arrival arrangement for citizens of the two nations.
The two leaders publicly asserted the strong relations that exist between the countries and agreed to explore avenues of strengthening bilateral and diplomatic ties between Nairobi and Mogadishu for the benefit of the citizens of both countries.
The Somali leader also expressed gratitude to President Kenyatta for the role Kenya continues to play in AMISOM and its role in sheltering Somali refugees.
President Abdallahi Mohamed also expressed confidence that the maritime boundary dispute between his country and Kenya that is currently before the International Court of Justice in The Hague will be resolved in a mutually acceptable manner.