President Adama Barrow has on Wednesday, 17th April received Letters of Credence from more foreign diplomats at the State House in Banjul. During the solemn ceremony, ambassadors from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Hungary, Republic of Lebanon, and the Republic of Tunisia were honored with a red carpet reception and a military Quarter Guard before presenting their credentials to the Head of State of The Gambia.
President Barrow exchanged greetings and messages of goodwill while welcoming them to The Gambia. Each of the diplomatic representatives pledged commitment to building strong ties with The Gambia at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
Republic of Hungary
The ambassador of Hungary, His Excellency Andras Szabo was the first to present his credentials and held a closed-door meeting with President Barrow. The occasion was a historic one signifying the first time ever Budapest appoints a diplomatic mission in Banjul at the level of ambassador.
The President said he is encouraged by the Hungary experience of social and economic transformation, especially in terms of its human capacity development. He said The Gambia should tap into the experience of such success stories and acknowledged the key role Hungary plays in the European Union.
Some areas of possible cooperation include agricultural machinery, mixed-farming techniques, field researches, among others, as The Gambia government believes that agriculture should be pursued as a business a venture.
Hungary is a leading agricultural country in the world and has one of the best technologies in food and agro-processing. Ambassador Szabo said his government would like to support The Gambia in its agricultural drive by transferring such technological know-how.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
President Barrow said he was encouraged by the efforts taken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to dialogue with its neighbor, Republic of Korea as well as the United States government to promote peace. He thanked the Koreans for taking the bold move of engaging in peace talks.
Republic of Lebanon
President Barrow told the Lebanese diplomat that Gambians consider Lebanese citizens as family, given the strong historical bonds that they share. The relationships between Lebanon and The Gambia is beyond commerce and trade; the two countries share strong cultural ties and people-to-people relationship. He cited the vibrant Lebanese-Gambian community in The Gambia, most of whom are active players in our country. He, however, encouraged more private sector participation from Lebanon, as The Gambia is more democratic and safer for business.
Republic of Tunisia
The President told the Tunisian ambassador that The Gambia, like Tunisia, are key supporters of African integration at the level of the African Union, making reference to The Gambia’s recent ratification of the Africa Free Trade Zone Agreement. The two leaders concluded that areas for possible collaboration include tourism, education, and trade.