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State House, Banjul, March 10, 2020 – Gambian and Senegalese Experts and Ministers have started the second Presidential Council Meeting between their two governments in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, from the 10th – 12th March 2020.
The Presidential Council Meeting will be preceded by the Experts Meeting, which will work in sub-committees to discuss Defense and Security, Justice and Consular Affairs, Finance, Transport and Trade, Higher Education, Tourism, Culture, Health, Fisheries, Agriculture and Energy.
The experts are expected to present a draft report to the Ministerial Session for review before final adaptation during the Presidential Council session on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
On the final day of the meeting, the two Heads of State, their Excellencies, Adama Barrow and Macky Sall will join the experts and ministers for the Presidential Council Meeting to conclude on the draft reports and road maps for the various agreements.
Meanwhile, President Barrow will leave Banjul on the 11th March 2020 for Dakar.
Background
In March 2017, President Adama Barrow undertook a state visit to the Republic of Senegal to renew The Gambia Government’s commitment to consolidating the relationship between the Republics of The Gambia and Senegal. During the visit, he described his relationship with Senegalese President, H.E Macky Sall as twins, whose countries are bound by history.
President Barrow called for a special fraternal relation to reflect on all official interactions between the two countries. As a result of the shared history and geographical ties, the two Heads of State agreed to the initiation of a bi-annual Presidential Council Meeting, which will allow their experts, technicians and policymakers to work closely together to review their bilateral cooperation and forge new ties.
In March 2018, the first Presidential Council meeting between The Gambia and Senegal took place in Banjul. It was jointly officiated by their Excellencies, Adama Barrow and Macky Sall and a series of cooperation agreements were signed to facilitate the implementation of the policy decisions. Since then, steps were taken to ensure the operationalisation of the cooperation agreements.
In January 2019, the two Heads of State came together to officially open the TransGambia Bridge, which was renamed The Senegambia Bridge, allowing easier movement of people and goods, as well as improving on trade and other services.
Despite recent border closure by unionists, the two countries are working closely to promote peace and stability, health promotion and surveillance, tourism and hospitality, among others for the mutual benefit of their two peoples.
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Sanna Camara
Media Officer
Office of The President
Republic of The Gambia