Tel Aviv [Israel], December 27 (ANI): Israel on Friday formally recognised Somaliland as an independent country, becoming the first nation to do so more than 30 years after the territory broke away from Somalia, Times of Israel reported.

The declaration of mutual recognition was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on behalf of Israel, and by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi for Somaliland. The breakaway region is located in a strategically important part of the Horn of Africa, along the Red Sea corridor.

Speaking to President Abdullahi over the phone, Netanyahu described the moment as historic.

'The friendship between the countries was seminal and historic,' he said.

Netanyahu said Israel now plans to expand cooperation with Somaliland across multiple sectors.

'We intend to work together with you in economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development,' he said.

'I congratulated the President of Somaliland, Dr Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, and praised his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace. I invited the President to pay an official visit to Israel,' Netaynayahu said in a post on X.

Later on Friday, Netanyahu's office released a video of the phone conversation in which he informed Abdullahi about the decision in real time.

'I want you to know that I am signing now as we speak Israel's official recognition of the Somaliland,' Netanyahu told him, adding that the relationship would open up new economic opportunities.

Netanyahu also invited the Somaliland president to visit Israel officially. Abdullahi responded that he would come 'as soon as possible,' according to the Israeli statement.

Netanyahu said the recognition aligns with Israel's broader regional outreach. He noted that the declaration 'is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of US President Donald Trump.'

The Abraham Accords, brokered in 2020, led to Israel establishing diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Morocco and other countries joining later, Times of Israel reported.

Somaliland has said it aspires to join the Abraham Accords framework. While no other country has formally recognised Somaliland so far, several nations, including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan, have maintained informal diplomatic ties with Somaliland.

Somaliland briefly gained independence in 1960 and was recognised by Israel and 35 other countries at the time before voluntarily uniting with Somalia. It declared separation again in 1991 after Somalia collapsed into civil war.

Since then, Somaliland has functioned largely as a separate state, with its own government, currency and security forces. It has also seen relatively stable governance and peaceful democratic transitions, in contrast to the prolonged instability in Somalia. (ANI)