By Ya Awa Touray
Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, on Tuesday 30th January 2024 visited the Russian Federation on a working visit, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Mr Sergey Lavrov.
During their meeting, the two Foreign Ministers discussed ways to strengthen the historically friendly relations between their two countries.
Their discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in trade, the economy and humanitarian endeavors, with both diplomats exploring opportunities for increased business collaboration particularly in infrastructure, transportation and agriculture.
The two sides also conducted a comprehensive exchange of views on global and African affairs, emphasizing the preference for political and diplomatic methods of resolving African crises. They highlighted shared approaches between Moscow and Banjul in Middle East regulations and discussed ways to address the UN Security Council’s reform, regional conflict resolution, and counter-terrorism efforts in the Saharo-Sahel region and West Africa.
Foreign Minister Tangara also discussed the upcoming 15th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul in May, with his counterpart, and they both plan to strengthen coordination at the UN and other multilateral platforms to advance the comprehensive Russian-African partnership.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Consultations between the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Gambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, by underscoring their commitment to their ongoing diplomatic collaboration.
The working visit marks a significant step towards strengthening the relations between Russia and The Gambia, and created a platform for future collaborations in various sectors.
