Sequel to President Bio’s New Direction objective on Foreign Affairs, he promised the people of Sierra Leone to place the highest premium on development and economic diplomacy as a core national interest and to establish new Embassies/Missions in order to achieve the greatest benefits consistent with the national interests of our country.
It is against this backdrop, that the enterprising Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David J. Francis and delegation comprising the Honourable Leader of Government Business, a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Director of Africa Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director of Ministerial follow-ups at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were warmly received by His Excellency, Ambassador Atumanni Dainkeh, Ambassador of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Morocco on their visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, to officially inaugurate the Republic of Sierra Leone Embassy in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on Friday 27th August, 2021.
In breaking the lance of diplomacy, Professor David J. Francis upon his arrival in the Kingdom of Morocco had a very successful meeting with the Foreign Minister of Morocco, during which a Roadmap of Cooperation that constitutes Education, Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Health, Tourism, Visa exemption to name but a few, were signed, followed by a press conference. Accordingly, several other meetings were held with the Minister of Harbours and Islamic Affairs, the Director-General of the Moroccan Intelligence Agency, Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy and the Director-General of Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation.
This move is consistent with the reality that modern-day diplomacy requires the involvement of reliable strategic partners in the areas of international cooperation to shape the country’s diplomatic agenda.
On the official opening ceremony of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, Professor Francis in delivering the keynote address, acknowledged the key strategic location of the Kingdom of Morocco and ascertained that President Bio considers the Kingdom as a strategic reliable partner and friend, and a passage to navigate the wider world. He affirmed that this partnership with the kingdom of Morocco will make a strategic and pragmatic national interest to access international trade roots.
As the Government of President Bio has endeavoured to rebrand its nation in this rapidly changing international environment and the involvement of new actors in the diplomatic land scape, our generational thinking is that we are creating a mentality as global citizens, as entrepreneurs and dynamic people that are willing to welcome a new narrative of a new Sierra Leone. He maintained.
The Honourable Minister noted that his role therefore is to progress with His Excellency President Bio’s directives in building strong, cordial and strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and other trusted partners.
Ideally, he informed the ceremony of the remarkable demonstration of his government to enhance Human Capital Development and to ensure Sierra Leone becomes a Middle Level Income country in a not-too-distant future by allocating 22% of its national revenue to Education.
In a bid to further expand and foster Sierra Leone’s diplomatic foot-prints in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Rabat assembled a host of prominent Moroccan investors in a meeting with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone and delegation at the Embassy on Saturday 28th August, 2021, during which several investment and trade opportunities were deliberated on. The Honourable Minister demonstrated his entrepreneurial expertise as he cleverly presented Sierra Leone to the Moroccan Investors as an ideal business environment that guarantees a reliable break even and the possibility of improving their businesses. Responding to the Minister’s presentation, the head of the Investment Board in Morocco thanked the Honourable Minister and delegation for choosing to further deepen and foster the existing cordial relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco and assured them of their fullest cooperation and commitment which will be demonstrated by a high-level investment visit to the Republic of Sierra Leone in December 2021. The visit he affirmed, will be focussed on the visibility of possible investment areas and to familiarise themselves with major actors in the trade and investment sector.
The Honourable Minister concluded by thanking the Moroccan Government for their reasonable support to the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Rabat and thanked His Excellency Ambassador Dainkeh and staff of the Embassy for a diligent job and an opening session that is one of its kind.
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