ISTANBUL

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Somali Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed discussed cooperation opportunities on Monday in Istanbul.

Bayraktar stated on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that two ministers discussed the current status of hydrocarbon exploration activities conducted by both countries in Somalia's land and sea areas, as well as operational plans for the new period.

The Turkish minister also said the discussion was made before Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's upcoming visit to Türkiye.

Bayraktar said: "We are building Türkiye-Somalia energy cooperation on solid foundations.

"As Türkiye, we view Somalia as one of our most important partners in Africa, and we believe that our cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector will hopefully open the doors to a new era in the near future."