BRUSSELS — Somalia’s foreign minister urged deeper multilateral coordination to safeguard maritime routes, bolster digital resilience and keep the Indo-Pacific open and stable, speaking Friday at the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels, where ministers from more than 60 countries convened to address global security and economic challenges.
Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, underscored his country’s support for peaceful dispute resolution and stronger international institutions as geopolitical rivalries intensify, supply chains face strain and maritime spaces grow more contested. He framed the Indo-Pacific as central to global stability, with trade routes that sustain international commerce, digital infrastructure linking economies and marine resources underpinning the livelihoods of millions.
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Even as its strategic weight rises, the region faces intertwined risks, the minister said, citing illicit maritime activity, climate vulnerability and rapidly evolving cyber threats that cross borders and overwhelm single-country responses.
“Security is intertwined and prosperity is shared,” Abdisalam said, calling for solutions grounded in mutual respect and shared responsibility. He urged partners at the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum to translate dialogue into joint action, particularly in areas where cooperation can blunt cross-regional shocks and deter destabilizing behavior.
- Strengthen maritime security to protect vital sea lanes and deter illicit activity.
- Build predictable economic frameworks that support resilient, rules-based trade.
- Improve digital and technological resilience to counter cyber threats and safeguard connectivity.
- Advance cooperative mechanisms to address emerging risks before they metastasize.
Turning to Somalia, Abdisalam highlighted the country’s coastline as one of the region’s most strategic maritime frontiers and said Mogadishu is rebuilding maritime capacities, enhancing governance of territorial waters and deepening regional partnerships to secure essential trade routes. Those efforts, he added, align with broader Indo-Pacific priorities that depend on secure shipping lanes, trusted digital networks and coordinated crisis response.
He reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to working with all partners to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains a region where sovereignty is respected, cooperation is valued and every nation has an equitable voice in shaping the collective future.
The Brussels gathering offered a platform for governments to exchange views, reinforce partnerships and promote collaborative solutions to evolving security and economic pressures across the Indo-Pacific. With ministers from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific in attendance, the forum emphasized multilateral approaches to maritime security, climate resilience and cyber stability—issues that increasingly connect the Indo-Pacific to the Horn of Africa and beyond.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
