Vietnam,(insidesomalia.org)- Vietnam is encouraged by the formal signing of the Djibouti Agreement between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) on August 18, said a Vietnamese diplomat.

“Simultaneous action on both political and security fronts is an important step towards achieving peace and stability for Somalia,” said Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung, Vietnamese Deputy Representative to the UNSC at the council’s debate on Somalia’s situation in New York on August 26.

Mr Trung also acclaimed the establishment of a Joint Political Committee and a Joint Security Committee to oversee the implementation of the Agreement.

The Vietnamese diplomat, however, expressed concerns about the general security and humanitarian situation in Somalia as violence continues in different parts of the country, notably a spate of piracy in Somali territorial waters, as well as recent attacks on aid workers in Mogadishu.

According to Mr Trung, the key challenge facing the country lies in the implementation of the Djibouti Agreement by the parties concerned.

The Vietnamese diplomat called upon all stakeholders in the Somali political process to commit themselves to a peaceful solution of the conflict reflected in the Agreement, including the facilitation of unhindered humanitarian access, reconstruction and development, justice and reconciliation, cessation of violence.