The president of Somaliland has held separate talks with his Israeli counterpart, as well as the second son of the US leader, as the breakaway region continues to seek international recognition and foreign investment.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi met Isaac Herzog and businessman Eric Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
''Our discussions focused on strengthening and advancing bilateral relations between the Republic of Somaliland and the State of Israel,'' Abdullahi said in a post on X about the meeting with Herzog.
Last month, Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland - 35 years after it declared independence from Somalia.
President Cirro, as he is known in Somaliland, shared images on social media of the closed-door event, reportedly organised by the Greek House Davos programme. Abdirahman Bayle, an advisor to Somaliland's leader, specified that Eric Trump had expressed interest in Somaliland's opportunities.
Topics of discussion included inviting investors to the livestock and agriculture sectors to industrialize these fields and export goods worldwide. Somaliland's main export is livestock, primarily sent to Saudi Arabia.
Though Eric Trump does not hold an official US government position, he maintains a significant role in the Trump Organization. Somaliland's strategic position on major shipping routes makes it attractive for investment. During talks, Abdullahi spotlighted the Berbera deep-water port as a promising logistics hub.
Bayle remarked on a fundamental shift in their strategy, indicating, 'For the first time, we are not asking the world for aid; we are offering our resources.'
Israel's president described the talks as positive, expressing his hope for diplomatic relations to deepen further.
Somaliland has been governing itself since breaking away from Somalia in 1991 and aims for international validation. However, recent recognition by Israel has drawn criticism from Somalia and other nations concerned about territorial integrity.
