Turkey, Somalia sign military training pact

Turkey and Somalia signed a military training framework agreement here on Saturday.

The agreement was signed by Turkish General Mehmet Cetin and Somali ambassador to Ankara Hilal Mohammed Aden on the sidelines of the UN Somalia Conference.

However, no details about the military training pact were available.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in the day that "Turkey has always provided police and military training whenever it was needed."

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said at the meeting that more can be done for the country's police and army to make them more able to execute their duties in the best possible manner.

Supporting Somali security forces was a cornerstone of the discussions during the conference, said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the meeting.

The UN Somalia Conference was held within the framework of the Djibouti agreement, which provides Somalia and its leaders with a clear and viable path for achieving a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the situation in Somalia.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and delegates from 55 countries attended the conference.

Twelve international organizations, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference, are among the attendance.

Source:Xinhua