By: Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly on September 4th 2018, adopted the motion on the Gambia-Franco Parliamentary Friendship Group between the Republics of the Gambia and France.
The Member for Basse Muhammed Magassy in laying the motion before Deputies, said the Bill seeks to reactivate the previous failed attempt to formally establish such an important inter parliamentary friendship group.
“Once established, the group will collaborate to strengthen the already existing cordial bilateral relations, between The Gambia and France,” he said; that the establishment of the group, will enhance cooperation and render support to each other’s parliament on key areas such as development, cooperation, legislative support, governance, technical assistance and people to people relationships.
“The Gambia and France have been great friends since Independence and we have cooperated on areas such as agriculture, technical assistance, ITC, infrastructure and tourism”, he added.
He said the motion is in recognition of the importance France attaches to its relation with The Gambia, the development agenda to improve the welfare of the people and to promote sustainable development through its Embassy, as well as the relation between the people of the Gambia, and France.
He said the mandate of the group is to foster inter parliamentary relations and further contribute to the development of the bilateral relation between the two countries, and to serve as the link between the two Legislatures on all cooperation and support.
Members who took part in the debate on the motion, expressed that the move is timely will further cement relations between The Gambia and France; that it will help the Members of the National Assembly understand and improve on their performance and that the friendship should be based on the mutual interest of the two states.
The motion was finally adopted with amendments, after Members debated on it.
