The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, on Monday 5th July, 2021 held a flurry of diplomatic engagements with diplomats representing France, Nigeria and the Executive Secretary of Senegalo-Gambia Permanent Secretariat.
First to be received by Foreign Minister Tangara was the French Charge d’Affaires, His Excellency Jean-Charles Allard. Mr Allard was warmly welcomed to the Foreign Ministry by the Honourable Minister, and the two sides further discussed ways and means of boosting the already cordial bilateral relations between The Gambia and France.
Meeting the High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mohammed Manu, Foreign Minister Tangara welcomed and commended him on his appointment as the High Commissioner of Nigeria to The Gambia. The Honourable Minister also applauded the friendship and brotherhood between President Barrow and President Buhari, noting that the special bond would serve as a catalyst for greater cooperation between the two brotherly countries. He said Nigeria has been supportive to Gambia’s aspirations and activities in ways that support African brotherhood.
The Honourable Minister used the opportunity to inform the Nigerian envoy that President Barrow, the Government and people of The Gambia are profoundly grateful for the support Nigerian has been giving to The Gambia for the past decades, most especially during the 2016 political impasse.
Minister Tangara said Nigeria remains strong in supporting key sectors crucial to Gambia’s development and these include judiciary, security, education, health amongst others.
In this regard, he reiterated the readiness of the Government of The Gambia to continue working closely with Nigeria for the mutual interest of countries, Africa and the world.
For his part, the Nigerian High Commissioner to The Gambia, H.E Mohammed Manu, thanked the Government of The Gambia for the warm reception accorded him since his arrival in the country. He spoke highly of the cordial bilateral relations between the Government of The Gambia and the Republic of Nigeria, adding that Nigeria would continue to firmly support Gambia’s development initiatives in all areas, notably tourism and technical cooperation.
Following exchange of diplomatic pleasantries, Minister Tangara warmly welcomed the Executive Secretary of the Senegalo – Gambia Permanent Secretariat, H.E. Ambassador Fodé Seck to his office in Banjul.
He recognised the long-standing quality service Ambassador Fodé Seck had rendered in the diplomatic field. He recalled that Ambassador Seck is one of those diplomats who always support Senegambian interest and Africa when he was Senegal’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Dr. Tangara said Ambassador Seck’s service is still a replication of the excellent service he had rendered at the United Nations.
The Gambia, Minister Tangara said was able to register the much-needed development as a result of the strong cooperation of development partners. He indicated that President Barrow and President Sall are working closely to make The Gambia and Senegal a shining example of African integration. The Minister assured Ambassador Seck of the solid support of the Government of The Gambia at all times.
Shortly after the Minister’s speech, Ambassador Seck applauded the excellent bilateral relations between The Gambia and Senegal, assuring that his team would work to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries. “The Gambia and Senegal are more than neighbours,” Ambassador Seck pointed out.
