President Adama Barrow welcomed the new French Ambassador to The Gambia, His Excellency Philippe Lalliot who presented his Letter of Credence to him, the State House in Banjul on Monday.
The Gambian leader described the relationship between The Gambia and France as friendly and warm, adding that the coming of the French diplomat would further strengthen it.
They discussed diplomatic issues to facilitate legitimate travel between the two countries, while working together to address illegal migration and human trafficking. France and The Gambia will also continue to partner in the areas of security, trade and investment and infrastructural development.
On regional and global issues, President Barrow encouraged dialogue and expressed his commitment to partner in promoting peace and stability.
Speaking to State House media team after his presentation, Ambassador Philippe Lalliot said France had categorised The Gambia as a priority country, following the change of government in December 2016.
The envoy said he had a very friendly, warm meeting with President Barrow. Meeting him for the first time, Mr Lalliot said it was not a surprise because the relationship between the two countries has been very good over the past three years.
“France and The Gambia have a lot in common and do a lot of things together across many sectors. We have tried to be as close a friend as we can be to this country since the beginning of the transition that brought President Barrow to office,” he added.
Paris and Banjul have also forged good cooperation in economic and cultural sectors.