Manama: Somalia's prime minister has asked Qatar to help achieve reconciliation between the various Somali factions and to assist with the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Dr Abdiweli Mohammad Ali said that made the request during meetings with senior officials in Doha.

Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Prime Minister Shaikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani pledged their assistance and insisted that Qatar would not abandon Somalia, the Somali leader told Qatar News Agency (QNA).

He said that the talks in Doha have been fruitful and promising and lauded Qatar's positions at Arab, African, Islamic and international levels, expressing confidence about the pledges he received.

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The Somali premier said that his visit focused on boosting bilateral relations and seeking Qatar's help in the reconstruction, reconciliation and development of his country in all areas. He said that Qatar was "one of key Arab states that could play a leading role in this regard."

Abdiweli was appointed Somalia's prime minister in June amid hopes that the Harvard graduate will help end bickering between the constitutional institutions that had stalled the government's work for months.

The highly educated technocrat holds degrees in public administration from Harvard and in economics from Vanderbilt University.