It would be recalled that the two cities have executed numerous projects over the years. Hence, the anniversary celebration was witnessed by a delegation with the Mayor of Ostend, a city in Belgium as well as their Gambian counterpart, the Mayoress of Banjul and the Chief Executive Officer of Banjul City Council.
Expressing gratitude to the visiting delegation, Rohey Malick-Lowe, mayoress of Banjul, reminded that the partnership between the two cities has brought tremendous developments to the residents of Banjul - especially the hospital, which she said, are the custodians of the support since it is situated in Banjul.
Mayor Lowe made reference to the Burn Unit at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and Crab Island, which she added, are beneficiaries every year.
She revealed that through their support the school graduates a total of 200 students on annual basis.
“This is for the youth and we are glad that it is in the capital city. Many people would say Banjul is small, but no capital is small. We are not small.” she added.
She noted that Banjul is the seat of power and as such, they’re looking forward to more development in the city of Banjul.
Bart Tommelein, Mayor of Ostend, spoke about the fruitful cooperation the two cities continue to enjoy as part of the long-term management of the EU project, saying it was a huge priority on his visit to The Gambia.
“All too often, projects and investments in this field have suffered from neglect after the funds were phased out. This is something we need to avoid. We need to plan together to make sure that all investments are looked after. Without sustainability, all our efforts would have been in vain,” Ostend Mayor stated.
After twenty years since the development of the cooperation was developed between the EFSTH and the higher education institutions in Ostend, he said, the two administrations have worked closely, thereby promoting exchange visits in both directions.
He reminded that the 3 million euros or close to 200 million dalasis project was something which they hoped had created a meaningful change in the city, thus creating opportunities for BCC staff and Banjulians.
Mustapha Batchilly, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Banjul City Council, described the relationship between the two cities as ‘important’ in view of the fact that it was created on the basis of mutual respect and communication.
He emphasised that any leader who listened to people would not fail, pointing out that the Banjul visit by the mayor of Ostend and his team, shows the level of commitment they attach to this relationship.
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