Somalia and Pakistan agree to waive diplomatic passport visas.

During their meeting, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing bilateral engagement with Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yousuf.

On this occasion, the two parties saw the signing of an agreement between Pakistan and Somalia that eliminates the need for a visa for bearers of diplomatic passports.

Dawood Muhammad Baraech, Special Secretary, Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, Pakistan, and Hamza Adan Haadoow, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Somalia, signed the agreement.

According to the president of Pakistan, Africa plays a significant role in the geopolitical landscape of the world, and Pakistan is eager to strengthen its ties with African nations, especially Somalia.

The Somali Interior Minister’s visit is the first bilateral official visit from Somalia to Pakistan in the last 35 years, President Zardari was told.

The Pakistani president also emphasized Pakistan’s continued commitment to regional and global initiatives to combat drug trafficking and transnational crime. Opportunities for bilateral collaboration and the larger geopolitical landscape were also discussed.

Both parties discussed ways to improve collaboration in criminal justice and law enforcement throughout the discussion.

The viability of drafting a bilateral extradition treaty and the legal systems controlling extradition in each nation were discussed. It was also investigated if it would be possible to start conversations on the transfer of sentenced individuals and reciprocal legal support in criminal cases.

The two sides also talked on information and intelligence sharing, staff training and capacity building, and cooperation in counter-narcotics initiatives, such as fighting drug trafficking and organized crime.

The President was told that Pakistan had offered to help with advanced identity management, civil registration, secure documentation systems, and training the Somalian police force through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Ali Yousuf, the interior minister for Somalia, thanked the Pakistani authorities. Additionally, Ali Yousuf gave President Zardari a letter from the president of Somalia, which expressed congratulations and well wishes and reiterated the desire for deeper bilateral ties.

Recalling the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers during UN missions in Somalia in the 1990s, where Pakistani personnel gave their lives while serving under the United Nations flag, the Somali Minister characterized Pakistan as a dependable partner and brother to Somalia since its independence.