Speaker and Second Vice-Speaker of Parliament in deliberation sessions with Max Planck team and key partners at German federal institutions
At the end of February 2015 the Max Planck Foundation hosted a high-level delegation from Somalia, led by Mohammad Sheikh Osman Jawari, Speaker of Parliament, and Mahad Abdalle Awad, Second Vice-Speaker.
The visit offered both parties an opportunity to have in-depth meetings on areas of ongoing collaboration. Focused deliberation sessions were organised with the Max Planck team covering, among other things, the Foundation’s ongoing technical assistance to Somalia’s constitutional review and federalisation process.The delegation also took part in Foundation wide meetings, drawing on the diverse experiences and comparative insights from projects in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.
As part of the visit organised by the Foundation, Mohammad Sheikh Osman Jawari also met with key partners at the German federal institutions. The delegation, joined by the Foundation’s leadership, discussed several issues with Ambassador Georg Schmidt, the Regional Director for Subsaharan Africa and Sahel at the German Foreign Office.
The delegation’s visit concluded with a meeting with Ulla Schmidt, Vice President of the German Bundestag, and Anita Schäfer, Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with the States of East Africa at the German Bundestag. Discussing areas of bilateral cooperation, the meeting gives impetus to renew and strengthen ties between the Somali Federal Parliament and the German Bundestag.
This historic visit of the Somali parliamentary leadership comes at a critical juncture in Somalia’s transition to a constitutional democracy. The Max Planck Foundation is grateful to have benefitted from the enriching visit, which has deepened our partnership and stimulated fresh thinking on our technical assistance.