The European Union and the Government of The Gambia held their 12th consultative meeting at the Kairaba Beach Hotel on 12th December 2017 in accordance with Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. This was revealed in a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The EU Ambassador to The Gambia, Mr Atilla Lajos and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubacarr Tambadou, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the meeting. Article 8 calls for political dialogue between the EU and a partner and “covers a broad range of topics, most notably the respect for human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance.” This is the first political dialogue between the two sides since the assumption of office by President Barrow.
According to the release, “During the meeting, the European Union reaffirmed its support to the democratic transition and reforms as well as to sustainable and inclusive development in The Gambia. The agenda items that were discussed included good governance, human rights, the rule of law, security, migration, the economic situation, national development and development cooperation, as well as bilateral agreements.”
The EU delegation congratulated the Gambia Government for their achievement on the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission, Security Sector Reform and National Security Policy, Migration Policy, Media Reform, Commission of Inquiry and National Development Plan. Both parties agreed to continue collaborating and plan to meet again in the first half of next year. Under the former regime, the relation between The Gambia and the European Union strained when the EU showed interest in political dialogue while the Jammeh administration opposed the holding of any such dialogue.
