Senegal, Gambia Bringing Back Lost Opportunities

President has hailed the three-day joint high level conference involving the Gambia and Senegal, describing the session as very important since deliberations were centered on issues that affect both neighbouring countries.

Find below the statement President Adama Barrow delivered to the press at the end of the conference.

We express our sincere appreciation to President Macky Sall and to the people of the Republic of Senegal for this important working visit to the New Gambia. We have come to the end of three important days of deliberations on issues that affect both countries. It was March last year that we held a similar meeting in Dakar.

It marks the seriousness our governments attach to our bilateral cooperation for socio-economic advancement of our people. We have already lost over two decades of lost opportunities to cement this important relationship. However, we now have to expedite our efforts to uplift the conditions of our people.

My government appreciates the support Senegal has provided to improve security and stability in our country through ECOMIG. It has invested a lot to support our security sector and thus promoting peace and stability.

The visit is a mark of our continued partnership to promote the unity that already exists between our two people. It will further concretize our desire to be a model of regional integration in Africa, through free movement of people and goods. A model of: two countries, one people, promoting peaceful co-existence to accelerate socio-economic development.

Your Excellency,

The Council meetings of our experts and Ministers have informed our discussions and we will work hard to implement the areas of cooperation that have been signed in the communique.

We will take joint responsibility to support our people in the various areas of development to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation and mutual interest. We are committed to promote democracy for socio-economic development of our people through regular consultative meetings.

Your Excellency,

Senegal has a long history of vibrant democracy and since you attained independence you have maintained that democratic trend. The Gambia can learn a lot from your democratic practice.

Allow me at this juncture to thank our experts and ministers who have worked hard over the past three days to make this council meeting a success. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank His Excellency, Professor Salieu Ndaiye, Senegalese Ambassador to The Gambia for promoting and strengthening the strategic Senegalo-Gambian diplomatic relationship and bilateral cooperation.

Once again, thank you for your kind attention.

Ends