Senior officials of both countries met on 4 December this year at the Pullman Bali Legian Beach Hotel in Bali, where they signed a cooperation pact that hinges on the need to reconvene a Second Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Banjul in 2026, all in a conscious effort to deepen the longstanding relations between the two countries.
“The Gambia stands ready to work closely with Indonesia to ensure that the 2026 Commission is productive and forward-looking,” Mr Yabou said, adding that the bilateral cooperation that will emanate from that joint commission will be built on several development pillars of mutual benefit.
The pillars of cooperation, he outlines, would include institutional strengthening and capacity building, exchange of legislative experiences, and joint parliamentary forums.
Under institutional strengthening and capacity building, he highlighted there would be secretariat training, digital parliament, and research enhancement.
Exchange of legislative experiences will cover agriculture and food security, maritime security and fisheries, and peacekeeping and defence oversight.
The joint parliamentary forums will establish or institute parliamentary friendship groups, and annual bilateral dialogue to be held alternately in Banjul and Jakarta, or alongside the IPU Assembly, focusing on global issues including climate change, OIC matters, and trade legislation.
“All in all, The Gambia welcomes efforts to promote cooperation between our parliamentary institutions,facilitate exchange visits between parliamentary committees and leadership, and share legislative experience on governance, economic reform, public accountability, and oversight,” he stated.
“We believe that such exchanges can help reinforce people-centered governance while also supporting legislative approval of cooperation mechanisms arising from this consultation and the forthcoming Joint Commission.”
Mr Yabou also underscored mutual support in international organisations, consular cooperation, and general framework agreement.
“Strengthened consular cooperation is essential to ensuring the protection and welfare of our citizens abroad, particularly in an increasingly mobile and interconnected world,” he said, adding:“The Gambia proposes the following areas of focus:continued exchange of information on citizens’ welfare and consular cases; cooperation on documentation, transit, and administrative facilitation; sharing best practices in migration management and diaspora engagement, training opportunities for consular officers to enhance service delivery, and the need for Indonesia to identify possible candidates to be our Honorary Consul in Jakarta and other cities.”
He said further: “The Gambia is confident that improved coordination between our respective missions will help provide efficient assistance to our nationals and further enhance bilateral trust as well as eliminate challenges in respect to consular services.”
These proposals, the Indonesian Foreign Office delegates -headed by Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, Director of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs -said, they stand ready to discuss constructively and productively for the benefit of both nations during the Second Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2026 in Banjul.
Read Other Articles In Headlines
Rights Center raises concern over ‘administrative action’ against ex-police PRO
Feb 27, 2025, 11:39 AM
