WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington does not plan to immediately follow Israel in recognizing Somaliland as an independent country.

“Everything is under study… We’ll study it,” Trump said in a phone interview with the New York Post.

“I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct.”

Asked about Somaliland’s offer to grant the United States access to a port on the strategically important Gulf of Aden, Trump downplayed its significance, responding: “Big deal.”

Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland’s separation from Somalia, a move that drew immediate regional and international attention. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would inform Trump of the decision during a meeting scheduled for Monday.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a video call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, saying he would also convey Somaliland’s interest in joining the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states.

Trump, however, indicated that the potential recognition of Somaliland was not a priority and said his upcoming talks with Netanyahu would focus primarily on Gaza-related issues.

He pointed to the ceasefire he brokered in October and ongoing reconstruction efforts being carried out under a UN-approved framework as key items on the agenda. — Agencies