The new Senegalese High Commissioner to The Gambia Wednesday presented his letters of credence to President Yahya Jammeh at State House.
Ababacarr Diagne, a veteran broadcaster, was named as the new Senegalese High Commissioner to The Gambia in October last year, replacing Diame Signate.
Speaking to waiting reporters shortly after presenting his credentials to President Jammeh, the new Senegalese diplomat said his mission will be to reinforce the relationship between the two countries.
“I am here to reinforce the relationship between the two countries, and I would do my best with the help of President Jammeh and the media, in particular, because I come from the media, to achieve the goals of my mission,” Diagne told reporters.
According to the Senegalese top diplomat, the length of his discussion with the Gambian leader could give an idea about the quality of the relations existing between Senegal and The Gambia, and the cultural relations between himself and President Jammeh and The Gambia.
“My first target will be to strengthen the ties between Banjul and Dakar in the area of trade because when you talk of the ethnic and cultural ties, it is true that they are there, but its history.
“But I don’t think that the trading sector is up to those ties, and I have told the President that I would do my best to work on that,” Diagne added.
On the issue of border closures from time to time and their impact on bilateral trade, Diagne expressed optimism that the issue will be easily handled, noting that the whole thing is to promote trade between Senegalese entrepreneurs and their Gambian counterparts.
“That is very important in my point of view,” he stated.
