NY (SD) -Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations Abukar Osman Bale said the Somali government has been paying UN contributions regularly for the past four years, contrary to the UN Secretary General’s report.

Abukar Bale said the government is currently making efforts to pay a total of more than one million dollars that Somalia did not pay between 1989 and 2017.

The Somalia’s ambassador to the UN made the remarks in an interview with Universal TV in response to a UN report.

The ambassador said debt owed by Somalia should not hinder efforts to get Somalia membership of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said Somalia is now making good progress in the UN General Assembly and is a member of the executive committees of the United Nations, UNDP, UN women, UNFPA, and UNOPS.

The ambassador said last year Somalia won the post of vice president of the United Nations 60 years later.