Mogadishu Municipality approves twinning agreement with Turkey's Konya

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The Benadir regional administration unanimously approved a twinning agreement Tuesday between Mogadishu Municipality and the historic Turkish city of Konya.

The announcement came after a meeting in the Somali capital.

The Mayor of Mogadishu Omar Mohamud Mohamed and the mayor of Konya are expected to sign the agreement in the coming months, according to media reports.

The agreement will enable the two cities to work in the areas of waste management, human resource development, sewerage management, urban planning and other issues of mutual interest.

The Konya Training Institute will also assist the Mogadishu Municipality in training staff.

Authorities in Konya and Somali Mogadishu agreed in June to strengthen cooperation after senior Mogadishu municipality officials visited the Turkish city and met deputy mayor Ercan Uslu.

Mogadishu has been recovering from two decades of instability and working with several major Turkish cities, including Istanbul, for the last 10 years.