The New High Commissioner of the Republic of the Gambia to the Republic of the Maldives, H.E. Mustapha Jawara, on Monday, presented his credentials to H.E. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at a ceremony held at the President’s Office.
At the meeting held after the credence ceremony, the President welcomed the High Commissioner to the Maldives, congratulated him on his new appointment, and spoke about the two countries' long-standing friendly relations. The President and the High Commissioner highlighted that both countries share numerous mutual values, such as a shared belief in Islam, historical ties, democratic principles, and membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Commonwealth of Nations.
The President and the High Commissioner also discussed bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as expanding mutually beneficial trade opportunities. The President emphasised that the Maldives' intervention in support of the Gambia's case at the International Court of Justice on safeguarding the rights of the Rohingya people was a perfect example of international collaboration with the Gambia.
The High Commissioner expressed interest in collaborating with the Maldives to exchange knowledge and expertise in agriculture, tourism and fisheries. He also expressed interest in seeking assistance to train Gambian diplomats through the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives (FOSIM), and the President assured him that this request would be fully considered. The President also welcomed mutually beneficial collaboration with the Gambia in promoting tourism.
The President and the High Commissioner expressed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The Maldives established diplomatic relations with the Gambia on July 3, 1989.
