By Hanad Abdi - Reporter
MARSEILLE, 11 October 2026 A Djiboutian delegation held meetings with government institutions, universities and port authorities in southern France to discuss strengthening cooperation in diplomacy, education, energy and maritime affairs, according to the Djiboutian News Agency on Saturday.
The meetings took place in Toulon and Marseille from 6 to 9 October, alongside the delegation’s participation in the fifth Mediterranean Strategic Dialogue (RSMed), held on 7 and 8 October.
The delegation comprised Hassan Omar Mohamed, director of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies; Dr. Sadat Saleh Said, director of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Research at the University of Djibouti; and Mohamoud Robleh Dabar, coordinator of cooperation between Djibouti and France’s southern region. The delegation represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the University of Djibouti.
One of the delegation’s first engagements was a meeting with Guillaume Huet, who oversees cooperation for the South Region of France. Discussions focused on strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between the two sides.
In Toulon, the delegation met Vice-Admiral Laurent Hermann of France’s Mediterranean maritime authorities and Admiral Pascal Ausseur, director-general of the Foundation for the Mastery of Strategic Issues (FMES). The meetings aimed to promote exchanges of expertise and cooperation on strategic issues.
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On education, the delegation visited the University of Toulon, where its members met the university’s president, Xavier Leroux. They also visited the Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre of the Mediterranean, headed by Commander Aymeric Le Masne de Chermont, and the Grand Port of Marseille, where they were received by Commander Philippe Affre.
In a statement, the delegation praised Djibouti’s ties with partners in southern France and reaffirmed its commitment to developing more practical and substantive cooperation between the two sides.
The visit also provided an opportunity to meet Djiboutian nationals living in France. During the engagements, the delegation highlighted an entrepreneur who has run a grocery store in Toulon for more than 30 years and is locally known as “Ali Baba”.