By David Gauthier-Villars
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (Reuters) – The president of Somaliland was at the World Economic Forum this week to win international recognition for his country and pitch investment opportunities in the East African nation.
At a closed-door dinner on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi outlined investment opportunities in Somaliland, notably the country’s strategic deep-sea port of Berbera, which sits along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, according to two people present.
In attendance were Eric Trump, son of the U.S. president Donald Trump and a leading executive of the Trump family’s sprawling business spanning from real estate to crypto, and Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, whose country recognized Somaliland last month—a first by any United Nations member.
A Reuters reporter saw Abdullahi go into the conference room where Eric Trump and Herzog were, and later saw photos of Trump shaking hands with the Somaliland president, and posing for pictures with him.
During the dinner, Abdullahi stood up and, holding a microphone, made a short address, according to the two people present and a video of his speech that Reuters reviewed.
“For 24 years, Somaliland has been stable, democratic, peaceful, ready for business,” Abdullahi told participants seated at dining tables facing each other, according to the video. “We expect that everyone (around) this table will support the recognition of Somaliland.”
The Somaliland president and Eric Trump also had two brief conversations when they shook hands, at the beginning and the end of the event, according to the two people present.
On Thursday, the Somaliland president confirmed that he had spoken with Trump and Herzog, telling Reuters: “The meeting went well, it went very well.”
The news agency was unable to independently confirm the specifics of Eric Trump’s conversations with the Somaliland president.
A spokesperson for Eric Trump confirmed that Abdullahi attended the dinner reception and took a photo with the U.S. president’s son but denied that the two men had a meeting, saying there were over 100 people in the room. “At no point did (Eric Trump) ever have a meeting with the Somaliland president. Nor, at any point did he discuss a port,” Kimberly Benza said in a statement.
Benza said Eric Trump did not acknowledge or comment on the Somaliland president’s speech. Asked about the sideline conversations, she said: “Pleasantries were exchanged, that is it.”
In a post on X that did not mention Eric Trump, Herzog said he had been pleased to meet with his Somaliland counterpart in the Swiss resort.
During President Donald Trump’s first term, the family’s self-imposed ethical guidelines prohibited them from seeking new business outside the U.S. Yet, days before his second inauguration, the Trump Organization, as the family business is known, released revised guidelines that jettisoned that constraint.
The White House did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy – and relative peace and stability – since 1991 when Somalia descended into civil war, but the breakaway region has struggled to receive recognition.
(Reporting by David Gauthier-Villars in Davos, Switzerland; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.