Somaliland: Launch of Taiwan Road and Signing of the Implementing Arrangement

Press-Release By Taiwan representative office in Somaliland

The Taiwan Representative Office in Somaliland Ambassador Allen Lou joined the Mayor of Hargeisa City Abdikarim Ahmed Morge and Minister of Transport and Roads Development Raabi Abdi Mohamed in announcing the construction of Taiwan Road today.

The Taiwan Road project aims to refurbish the road linking the Egal International Airport and downtown Hargeisa. The government of Taiwan is proud to co-sponsor the Phase 1 construction, with an aim to improve the well-being of the people in Hargeisa and enhance the bilateral relations between Taiwan and Somaliland. In collaboration with the Hargeisa Municipality, the Taiwanese government will fund a fixed amount of 1.85 million USD, approximately 70% of the total cost, with Hargeisa Municipality covering the rest of the 30%.

In his remark at today’s signing ceremony, Ambassador Lou thanked the Ministry of Transport and Roads Development for its support and the Hargeisa City Council for renaming the airport road to Taiwan Road. He emphasized that the project exemplifies how the trilateral cooperation between central government of Somaliland, the Hargeisa Municipality and Taiwan could achieve, and how it embodied the friendship and partnership, two important SHIPS underpinning the relations between Taiwan and Somaliland.

As Somaliland’s national gateway, Taiwan Road is to be designed and built by the Hargeisa Municipality, with drainages and sidewalks built to ensure the pleasure of the road users. Once completed, Taiwan Road is going to be “owned” by the people of Somaliland, embodying the core value of the people-centered Taiwan model, said Ambassador Lou.