Joint Co-operation Commission Between Kenya And Somalia To Meet In Mogadishu Next Month. The Agenda

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16- After years of a strained relationship between Kenya and Somalia, leaders of the two countries have agreed to bury the hatchet and work together.

The fresh breath between the countries follows the re-election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the Somali President.

President Mohamud is a close ally of Kenya, having run the affairs of Somalia from the country when Mogadishu was still under the control of the Al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab terrorists.

Weeks, after he was sworn in office, during a ceremony attended by several heads of state among them President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Somali leader, is in Nairobi.

While in Nairobi, the two leaders agreed to remove barriers to a cordial relationship between the two countries, by among other things opening the borders, to promote trade.

Kenya will also start buying fish from Somalia after the talks, while Mogadishu has lifted the ban on Miraa. To cement on agreed issues, the Joint Commission for Co-operation between the countries will be convened in Mogadishu in August.

The commission is set to agree on, “matters of mutual interest such as joint security activities, defense, agriculture, trade, intelligence exchange, health, education, training in various fields, and continuous review of the visa regime.”

The two leaders directed the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs to ensure the implementation of the issues agreed upon within two weeks, “from the date of this Joint Communique.”