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MOGADISHU, 15 November 2026 — Somalia and India held talks in Mogadishu on Saturday aimed at strengthening defence cooperation, with a particular focus on maritime security, counterterrorism and military capacity building.
According to The Times of India, the discussions took place between Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Sripriya Ranganathan, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) at India's Ministry of External Affairs.
The two officials also exchanged views on the regional security situation and explored ways to expand bilateral defence cooperation.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that the meeting focused on strengthening defence ties between Somalia and India.
Ranganathan arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday for an official visit, described as the first high-level bilateral visit by an Indian official to Somalia in several years.
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The High Commission of India in Nairobi, which is concurrently accredited to Somalia, said the visit was intended to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
During her stay in Mogadishu, Ranganathan is expected to meet senior Somali government officials to discuss diplomatic cooperation, consular services, development and new opportunities for bilateral engagement.
Somalia and India established formal diplomatic relations in 1960, following Somalia's independence.
India closed its embassy in Mogadishu in 1991 after the outbreak of Somalia's civil war but maintained relations with the country, particularly through development assistance, training programmes and maritime security cooperation.
Ranganathan's visit forms part of efforts by both countries to expand bilateral relations, with maritime security and counterterrorism among the key priorities in their ongoing discussions.