Somali Deputy Prime Minister Abdurahman Aden Ibrahim Ibbi will lead a high-level Somali delegation to visit the Philippines on Dec. 21 to 23. This is the first visit by a high-ranking Somali official since the visit of Somali Foreign Minister Abdurahman Jama Barren in January 1979. The Philippines expects to discuss its anti-piracy concerns as it is the supplier of about a third of the world's shipping manpower directly affected by the scourge of piracy off Somalia, especially in the Gulf of Aden . The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said training Somali maritime authorities may help curb piracy off the coast of Somalia where pirates hijack many international vessels in recent years. Possible areas of cooperation and training to be explored in the Manila meetings include maritime security, search and rescue, law enforcement operations, combating piracy, marine environmental protection, aquaculture development and human resource development, according to the DFA. Somali Ambassador to Indonesia Mohamud Olow Barow and Somali Navy Commander Admiral Farah Ahmed Omar will accompany Deputy Prime Minister Ibbi to the Philippines . The Somali official, who is also the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Somalia, is scheduled to meet with officials of the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Navy, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Civil Service Commission. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo will host a luncheon in honor of the visiting Somali Deputy Prime Minister. DFA said the visit is an offshoot of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's meeting with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at the sidelines of the African Union Special Summit in Tripoli, Libya, last Aug. 31. During the meeting, Arroyo offered her country' assistance in training and strengthening the capabilities of the Somali Coast Guard and Civil Service.
