The President of the Republic of The Gambia, Mr. Adama Barrow, has emphasized the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge and skills from Japan to The Gambia as he received letters of credence from the new Ambassador Designate of Japan to Gambia, Mr. Tatsuo Arai.
Ambassador Mr. Tatsuo Arai was the latest among the list of diplomatic envoys to visit the State House in recent weeks. Since February, 2018, Mr. Tatsuo had been the Director for Special Missions of Department of International Affairs at Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). He also assumed various posts in such fields as Multilateral Economic Relations, Global Environmental Issues, Public Relations and Cultural Exchange.
President Barrow asked for more capacity building and technology transfer between Japan and The Gambia, especially in the context of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). “The Gambia needs more of Japanese investments as returns on investment here are greatly assured, whilst more jobs can be created for our youths. This is winning and win situation,” he told the envoy.
The President thanked Japan for the volume of rice just donated as food aid to The Gambia, saying the two countries shared values of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Japan should consider other Gambian sectors like fisheries, agriculture, health and food processing, as they formed the priority areas of the National Development Plan, he explained.
Ambassador Tatsuo Arai also served in France, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Canada and Djibouti. He was also in the Delegation of Japan to the Intergovernmental Economic Organisation founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade, the OECD.
Mr. Tatsuo spoke of “excellent cooperation” between Japan and the Republic of The Gambia, saying that Japan admires the efforts of The Gambia in implementing democratic elections and maintaining stability. “Our government is ready to support sustainable development of The Gambia in various ways,” he said.
He added that Japan, in efforts to support The Gambia’s Transition, would like to consider what areas they could focus on. For example, Japan is now ready to sign a food aid agreement to the tune of $2Million. They are also looking at other areas like healthcare as Japan implemented some of these in the past, noting that they are also preparing some more projects.
“After presenting my credentials, I can work in my full capacity with government to forge closer collaborations,” he added.