Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed
"The agreement between the [Transitional] Federal Government (TFG) and Puntland was to strengthen relations between the Federal Government and administrations existing in the country," the Somali president said.
He noted that a deal signed by TFG Fisheries Minister Abdirahman Ibbi in Djibouti, which stirred controversy with Puntland, was an "understanding among eight countries" in the region to strengthen cooperation in the anti-piracy campaign.
"The duty of the [Transitional] Federal Government is to works towards uniting the Somali people and the agreement with Puntland is part of this," explained President Sheikh Sharif, who praised the relative peace in the northern Somali enclaves of Somaliland and Puntland.
The TFG-Puntland deal allows the latter to remain an integral part of Federal Somalia, but gives Puntland the authority to attend international conferences, sign development and commercial deals with foreign partners, and establish a Somali naval base in Puntland.
It is the first time President Sheikh Sharif has publicly spoken about the Puntland deal since Prime Minister Sharmake signed it in the Puntland city of Galkayo on Aug. 23, 2009.
Puntland, located in northeast Somalia, maintains its own government, parliament and security forces and has pledged to remain part of Federal Somalia.
The region is stable and relatively peaceful, while much of south-central Somalia including the capital Mogadishu is engulfed by an insurgency that threatens to overthrow President Sheikh Sharif's interim government.