Somaliland Opens First Embassy in Jerusalem During Historic Israel Visit

By: Mohamed Duale

JERUSALEM, June 15 (Horn Diplomat) – Somaliland on Monday officially opened its first embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant milestone in its growing relationship with Israel and highlighting expanding diplomatic ties between the two sides.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who jointly oversaw the opening of the diplomatic mission during the Somaliland leader’s historic visit to Israel.

President Irro described the opening of the embassy as a landmark achievement for Somaliland’s international engagement and a reflection of the strengthening partnership between Somaliland and Israel.

“Today, we officially opened the first Embassy of the Republic of Somaliland in Jerusalem,” President Irro said in a statement following the ceremony. He said the new mission reflects Somaliland’s growing international presence and its commitment to building relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and shared interests.

The embassy becomes Somaliland’s first diplomatic mission in Israel and represents a major step in efforts by Hargeisa to expand its international partnerships and diplomatic outreach.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the opening of the mission, describing it as an important development in relations between the two sides. He said the friendship between Israel and Somaliland extends beyond governments and is rooted in the people of both nations.

“The friendship between Israel and Somaliland does not exist only between the governments but also between the nations,” Sa’ar said.

The opening of the embassy comes amid growing cooperation between Somaliland and Israel in areas including trade, investment, technology, water management, agriculture, energy and regional security.

President Irro’s visit to Israel has included meetings with senior Israeli officials, business leaders and investors, with discussions focused on expanding economic cooperation and strengthening bilateral ties.

The establishment of the embassy is expected to provide a formal diplomatic platform for advancing cooperation between Somaliland and Israel and facilitating greater engagement across political, economic and development sectors.

For Somaliland, the opening of the embassy represents one of the most significant diplomatic developments in recent years as it seeks to broaden its international partnerships and increase its global engagement.

Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horn Diplomat News Desk.