Somalia is seeking to turn its strategic position into an engine for trade and investment, as the Italian Ambassador to Somalia, Pier Mario Daccò Coppi, met with Minister of Trade and Industry Gamal Mohamed Hassan to discuss the country’s economic priorities.
The talks focused on government initiatives to expand local production, increase added value and support the growth of exports.
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Hassan said he hoped Italy would take an active role in Somalia’s reform process, which is gradually moving the country away from an economy centered primarily on aid and toward investment, private-sector expansion and broader economic partnerships.
From this perspective, Somalia presents itself as an emerging market with significant opportunities for development, particularly in the sectors of trade, logistics, and port infrastructure.
Its strategic location could enable the country to become an increasingly important regional logistics hub. That prospect, however, depends on continued reforms, including innovation, infrastructure investment and further efforts to strengthen Somalia’s national regulatory framework and align it progressively with international procedures.
The minister also outlined the government’s plans to establish a national productive identity under the “Made in Somalia” label, while formally recognizing the country’s widespread female entrepreneurship. The initiative is intended to raise the added value of domestic goods, improve quality standards and open wider access to regional and international markets. It would also support deeper integration with the EAC and EFTA markets, as well as with the European market.
Daccò Coppi acknowledged Somalia’s progress in improving its business environment and agreed that dialogue with the private sector should be strengthened. He also backed closer links between Italian and Somali economic operators to create better conditions for practical investment and cooperation.
The ambassador welcomed Hassan’s call for a new perspective on the Somali market and said the Embassy was ready to support that effort. With assistance from ITA, the Agency for the Promotion Abroad and Internationalization of Italian Enterprises (ITA), the Embassy will seek to encourage a gradual convergence between the two business communities, promote greater understanding of opportunities in both markets and help develop new forms of partnership.
