NAIROBI, KENYA : Somalia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional trade cooperation and economic integration through its participation in a series of high-level technical and consultative meetings organized under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Mr. Abdirizak Hassan Yusuf, Director of the Planning and Policy Department at the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, participated in the IGAD Regional Technical Meeting on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) and Strategic Next Steps for IGAD Member States, held on 17–18 August 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The technical meeting was followed by the Consultative Meeting on the Establishment of the IGAD Network for Knowledge Exchange on Cross-Border Trade, held on 20–21 August 2026, also in Nairobi.
Representatives from Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan, and Uganda, alongside representatives from the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, took part in the meetings.
Discussions focused on strengthening Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), facilitating cross-border trade, reducing technical barriers to trade, and advancing strategic measures to deepen regional economic integration.
Participants placed particular emphasis on the mutual recognition of standards and conformity assessment procedures, as well as improving mechanisms for facilitating cross-border trade. The meetings also highlighted the importance of strengthening knowledge and experience sharing among IGAD Member States to support more efficient and predictable regional trade.
The consultations provided an important platform to review the IGAD Agricultural Trade Assessment Study and agree on the next steps for advancing regional trade cooperation and improving agricultural trade across the region.
The meetings represent an important step toward building a more integrated, predictable, and business-friendly regional market, with the potential to increase intra-regional trade, reduce barriers for businesses, and create new economic opportunities across the IGAD region.
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