BRUSSELS, July 23 (UPI) — The international  community needs to come together to make good on commitments to Somalia, the EU  foreign policy chief said.

European leaders are preparing for a Sept. 16 conference on support for  Somalia. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the  conference in Brussels is an opportunity to capitalize on political gains made  in Somalia.

“There is now a real atmosphere of activity, emerging governance and hope,”  she said in a statement Monday. “It is therefore more important than ever that  the international community makes good on its promises of support for the Somali  people.”

The Council of the European Union said Monday political progress in Somalia  “remains the key to ensuring long-term stability.”

Somalia last year formed its first formal central government since the 1990s.  It struggles to exert its authority beyond Mogadishu and has come under recent  threat from separatist ambitions in coastal regions.

The European Union said it welcomed Somalia’s committee to good governance  and transparency. It said, however, it remains concerned by reports of  corruption and financial mismanagement.

Source: UPI