By Lamin Kujabi
His Excellency President Adama Barrow attended the first Saudi-Africa Summit. Speaking to journalists upon his return to The Gambia, the President described the summit as highly engaging, additionally the President asserts that the summit was timely because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reforming and repositioning its global image and in line with that, the Kingdom has the objective of strengthening its relationship with the African continent as a whole. The summit consisted of 16 joint committees, 2 coordinating councils and produced more than 250 cooperation agreements in political, economic, and developmental fields. The Gambia signed an agreement in relation to labor conditions of citizens who go to Saudi Arabia to search for greener pastures.
Simultaneously, an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting was held to have discussions on the current Israel-Palestine conflict. The President also had bilateral meetings with high level Saudi government officials such as the Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Interior and Environment.
A few days after returning from the Saudi-Africa Summit, His Excellency President Adama Barrow honored the invitation of His Excellency Umaro Sissoco Embalo of neighboring Guinea Bissau at their 50th Independence Day Celebrations. President Barrow was among several African leaders who showed support to the small West African nation while they celebrated this milestone. Upon arrival in Guinea-Bissau, President Barrow was received by President Embalo and the Gambian Ambassador to Bissau, Amie Faburay. While addressing the media upon his return to Banjul International Airport, President Barrow described the Gambia-Bissau relationship to be a long-standing relationship cemented by the fact that both populations have the same culture and, in some aspects, speak the same languages. Therefore, he was happy to be among those who went to celebrate the nation’s 50 years of Independence.
