Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to open a British embassy in Somaliland.

For a decade the UK has been the only Western bilateral donor with a permanent diplomatic presence in Hargeisa. However, consistent with the entire international community, we do not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence and will therefore not seek to open a British Embassy in Somaliland. It is for Somaliland and Somalia to come to an agreement about their future relationship. Any new arrangements would need to be recognised by the African Union and neighbours in the region. The African Union is the pre-eminent regional body mandated to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states, of which Somalia is one. The UK encourages dialogue between Mogadishu and Hargeisa on this issue.

The Department for International Trade's approach to trade agreements can be found on their gov.uk pages. Somalia, including Somaliland, qualifies for duty free quota free access on goods imported to the UK. There are no imminent plans to negotiate a free trade agreement with Somalia, including Somaliland. The UK is, however, a leading economic partner of Somaliland. The UK's support to Somaliland includes the £25 million Horn of Africa programme, and our £35 million contribution to the Somaliland Development Fund. Through British International Investment, the UK has made a significant investment in the development of Berbera Port. This is part of an initial £232 million investment into three ports in Africa. Our existing £25 million of investment of official development assistance in the Berbera Corridor will drive economic growth and present significant opportunities for UK businesses.