Puntland State regional government close relations with the government of neighboring Ethiopia.

GAROWE, Somalia - The president of Somalia's Puntland State regional government told a crowd on Thursday that there are groups who oppose his administration' s close relations with the government of neighboring Ethiopia.

Gen. Adde Muse, the Puntland leader, was addressing the opening ceremony of a new office for the NEC electricity company, which opened today in Garowe, the capital of Puntland.

Puntland President Adde Muse cutting the tape

"Ethiopia and Puntland share a long border and we have consultations on common security interests," President Muse said, adding: "The man who commits a crime against Ethiopia will not be allowed [to live] in Puntland."

The Puntland leader said that a general security agreement was signed last month between the Puntland regional authority and Ethiopia's federal government, but indicated that there are "no hidden features" in that agreement.

President Muse acknowledged that there is growing public dissatisfaction with the Puntland-Ethiopia security arrangement, especially in light of controversial extraditions of Somali civilians detained in Puntland and transferred over to the Ethiopian government.

Adde Muse addressing the crowd

But the Puntland leader rejected such criticisms, telling unidentified critics: "It is a must for us [Puntland] to work for our interests."

At Thursday's weekly Puntland Cabinet meeting, President Muse detailed his weeks-long trip to Addis Ababa, where he worked out security arrangements with Ethiopian officials.

Puntland Information Minister Abdirahman Bangah told journalists after the meeting that three special committees were established to deal with rising insecurity, coordinate the government's humanitarian efforts and conduct a population census for the regions.

The Ethiopian government enjoys cordial relations with regional rulers in Somalia, especially in the self-governing regions of Puntland and Somaliland, and with the country's interim federal government in Mogadishu.