Somalia, 21 September 2025 – The United States and Somalia are set to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on trade, investment, and strategic cooperation during a forum scheduled to take place in Mogadishu early next month.
An official invitation issued on 1st September by the Somali Embassy in Washington, in partnership with Cleanport Ventures, stated that the forum will mark a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries, focusing on trade, investment, and strategic alignment.
“We are honored to announce that the U.S.–Somalia Presidential Trade Forum will be held in Mogadishu. With the strong security cooperation already in place between the U.S. and Somalia, we are opening new markets, attracting investment, and creating jobs for our people,” said Dahir Arab, Somalia’s Ambassador to the United States.
The forum is expected to bring together key individuals from both countries including cabinet ministers, investors, policy experts, and private sector leaders.
The event, scheduled for October 4-5, will be anchored on Somalia’s Centennial Vision 2060, which envisions how the nation will look 100 years after independence, and which was previously launched in Mogadishu.
Key agenda items will include infrastructure, energy, finance, and governance.
The Somali government has previously called on the U.S. to renew the 1980 defence agreement, which gave the U.S. access to Somali ports and airstrips it once used, including in Berbera, Kismayo, and Mogadishu.
Historically, the United States has supported Somalia through humanitarian aid and military assistance, playing a major role in the government’s fight against Al-Shabaab and ISIS, particularly through aerial operations.