08 November - Source: Xinhua - 298 Words Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somalia Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke held bilateral talks in Nairobi on Saturday to enhance ties between the two countries.  A statement issued after the meeting said the two leaders agreed on the need to fully operationalize the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) which aims to upscale engagements including cross-border security, joint infrastructure development projects as well as cultural exchanges. President Kenyatta and the Somali Prime Minister also discussed bilateral relations between Kenya and Somalia," the statement said.

The two leaders said the joint commission was an important vehicle for boosting bilateral engagements between the two countries. They also discussed the security situation in Somalia which has faced increased attacks from Islamist militant group, Al-Shabaab and in the region. The Horn of Africa nation has not been in the mainstream regional business since early 1990s when the central administration collapsed, giving way to a civil war that nearly ended following the intervention of the African Union through the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).