The minister further said that FSI was established with the broader vision of becoming the Regional Diplomatic Institute to enhance the capacity of diplomats within the region

Nairobi,(Sunatimes.com) 15 diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) are undertaking a two -week training programme on Diplomacy jointly organized by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)

The Training Programme was officially opened today by the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Richard Onyonka. Also present at the official opening ceremony was Mr. Mohamed Osman Aden, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in Nairobi, Mr. Tariq Chawdry from UNPOS, Ambassador Philip Mwanzia, the Director of Foreign Service Institute, Mr. Nganatha Karugu from the Kenya Institute of Administration, among other dignitaries . The Programme runs from 14th to 26th June.

Addressing the diplomats at the opening ceremony, the Minister said that modern diplomatic practice called for diplomats who are highly trained, knowledgeable and experienced in vast issues of diplomacy and international relations. Onyonka said that that the Horn of Africa had been plagued by conflicts for several decades and needed a professional human resource base to facilitate regional reconstruction. He added that Kenya remains committed to providing technical assistance in form of capacity building to the region as part of that initiative.

The minister further said that FSI was established with the broader vision of becoming the Regional Diplomatic Institute to enhance the capacity of diplomats within the region. In keeping with that mandate, he noted that the institute had conducted training for diplomats from Rwanda and Sudan, and that many other countries had shown interest in the training programmes organized by the Institute.

Speaking at the function the representative of UNPOS, Mr. Tariq Chawdry said that the training was another milestone in the collaboration between the two countries. He said the international community was keen to build the capacity of the TFG to restore stability in the country. Underscoring the importance of the training, Mr. Chawdry said that the image of a country largely rested on the country’s diplomats.

Making his remarks, the Director of the Programme, Amb. Mwanzia said that the Foreign Service Institute will continue its collaboration with the Somali TFG to fill the identified skill gaps in its diplomatic service, in tandem with Kenya’s Foreign Policy of good neighborliness and peaceful coexistence.

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Source: sunatimes.com