The Islamic Republic of Iran Congratulates President Bio On His Reelection: Calls For Strong Bilateral Relations & Partnership

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MoFAIC Buiding Tower Hill, Freetown, 7th July 2023-

The Iranian Ambassador to Sierra Leone Seyed Khalil Sadati Amiri Friday congratulated His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on his re-election through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Professor David J. Francis.

Delivering a congratulatory message on behalf of the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein Amir Abdollahian, Ambassador Seyed Khalil Sadati Amiri, said the people and government of Iran congratulate President Bio for his re-election by the people of Sierra Leone and also congratulated the Government for winning a seat in the non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2024-25.

With growing bilateral and diplomatic ties with Sierra Leone, Ambassador Seyed said, Iranian companies are expressing interest to explore opportunities for cooperation in the country in the areas of medicine, trade, and investment. 

He extended an invitation to the Hon. Foreign  Minister to the planned  Iran – Africa conferences – one for Foreign Ministers of African countries and another for Cultural Ministers. These high-level engagements will advance joint cooperation with African countries including Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Seyed highlighted projects that are currently being undertaken by the  Iranian Embassy in Sierra Leone which includes the establishment of a Nursing School which has enrolled 87 students.  

Ambassador Seyed also called for a JCC on visa waiver between the two countries which will encourage Iranian investors to come and realize the tourist potential of Sierra Leone. It also open doors for the Sierra Leonean business community in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Professor Francis thanked the Government of Iran for their support and congratulatory message on the victory of President Bio.

“We thank all our friends, allies, and partners for congratulating His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for winning an election that was peaceful, credible, free, fair, and transparent. Your congratulatory message will be conveyed to His Excellency appropriately and be rest assured that Sierra Leone will be participating fully in the upcoming Ministerial conferences for Africa in Tehran at all levels,” he said.

Professor Francis thanked the Iranian government for their support during the UN Security Council elections. This he said demonstrated the strong bilateral relations Sierra Leone has with other nations.

He commended the Iranian Embassy for establishing a health institution for the training of nurses which is in line with the government Human Capital Investment of the President.

Professor Francis recommended the hosting of a trade and business forum between the two countries as there are opportunities in the mining sector, health, agriculture, and infrastructure that Iranian investors would love to tap into. 

The Minister said that Sierra Leone will be invited to the UN Security Council on the 1st of October to observe principles and procedures, in preparation for their full engagement in January 2024. 

He emphasized that Sierra Leone will be playing a crucial role in promoting peace, security, and stability around the globe.

 

For more information,

Contact the Directorate of Strategic Communications

+23276571819.

Lungi Bridge Construction… Foreign Affairs Minister Led A High-Level Delegation To China

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Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Professor David Francis, has led a high-level delegation to the People’s Republic of China.

The delegation which comprises the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. David Francis, Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, and Ambassador Ernest M Ndomahina, on Tuesday, held a fruitful bilateral discussion with His Excellency Qin Gang, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs on key strategic areas to enhance growth and development in President Bio’s second term after June 2023.

Key to the discussion was the financing models for the construction of the Lungi Bridge, an increase in trade and investment between the two countries, and investment in the agricultural sector.

In welcoming the delegation, the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, committed to lead, mobilize, and coordinate the needed support for the construction of the Lungi Bridge.

The delegation also engaged the China Development Bank and the China Exim Bank on government priorities on agriculture, construction of the Lungi Bridge, trade, and investment.

As the Special Envoy of His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Professor Francis said that the engagement was part of President Bio’s government agenda in strengthening the long-standing bilateral relations & multilateral cooperation in areas of trade & investment & support for global peace and security between Sierra Leone & China.

From the Strategic Communications Dept.
MoFAIC Building,
Tower Hill, Freetown.
±23276571819.

Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Receives New UNICEF Country Representative, Calls For More Collaboration

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MoFAIC building, Tower Hill, Freetown, 12th May 2023

The Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Professor David Francis has welcomed the newly appointed Country Representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), Rudolf Schwenk in his office.

In his address, Professor Francis said the Government of His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has always maintained an open-door policy for diplomats and development partners.
He commended UNICEF for an excellent working relationship with the Ministry of Basic & Senior Secondary School, the Ministry of Labor, and the Office of the First Lady in promoting girl-child issues.

“Focusing on children and women are key priorities of this government. We have legislated the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment law which seeks to give 30% elective positions to women, 30% appointment positions to women, and 30% private financial access to them.

His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has focused on three pillars of development: Education, health, and agriculture. We have allocated 22% of our GDP towards education and that has translated into 2 million pupils returning to school.
As this government looks forward to working with you, I believe with the continuous support from UN agencies like UNICEF, we can achieve a lot,” Professor Francis added.
He also called on the UNICEF Country Representative to explore the beauty of Sierra Leone by visiting other places outside Freetown.

Professor Francis called on Mr. Schwenk to serve as Sierra Leone’s Goodwill Ambassador as the country seeks to return to the non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (2024/25).

Presenting his Letter of Credence to the Minister, Mr. Schwenk said that, the work of UNICEF cannot be underestimated in any country as it cuts across most of the sectors including health, education, and children’s affairs.

He promised to closely work with government agencies through collaboration on development areas.

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Contact the MoFAIC Directorate of Communications
Tower Hill, Freetown
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Morocco’s Port of Dakhla & the Special Industrial Zone in Sierra Leone Share Common Economic Values

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Professor David Francis Tells His Moroccan Counterparts

During his recent visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Professor David Francis highlighted the economic benefit of the Special Industrial Zone that was recently commissioned by His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio in Koya, outside Freetown.

During their fruitful bilateral engagement, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs & Moroccans Living Abroad, H. E Nasser Bourita, said Morocco is currently constructing a new Atlantic port in Dakhla, and when completed will be the biggest port in Morocco.
This according to H. E. Nasser Bourita, is in line with the kingdom’s investment policies to expand its economic and trade base in Africa.

Revealing the economic potential of the Special Industrial Zone, Professor Francis said that, the establishment of Sierra Leone’s Industrial Zone outside the capital city of Freetown is in line with the investment policies of the New Direction government of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio to enable foreign direct investments in the country through the development of a port and rail system in the Koya Industrial Zone (SiZ-Koya).
Professor Francis said that the Port of Dakhla and the Special Economic Zone in Sierra Leone share common trade values aiming to ease business in Africa.

“Sierra Leone is a land of opportunities in various sectors. His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has launched a Special Industrial Zone in Koya, the outskirts of the capital city where over 50 companies will be hosted to establish various factories and manufacturing companies. When you invest in Sierra Leone, you are not just doing so for the 7+ million Sierra Leoneans but for the over 450 million people in the sub-region. This is because, Sierra Leone is strategically located within the Atlantic Ocean, thereby making it easy to trade across the world.
We have a President that is not just focused on making Sierra Leone attractive for doing business, but also ensuring that every foreign direct investment in the country is protected. I want to use this opportunity on behalf of His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada to invite the WALI and private investors in Morocco to lead a special trade envoy to Sierra Leone which I believe will lead to more investment between our two countries,” he said.

Professor Francis called on his Moroccan counterparts to ensure the timely implementation of the Dakhla Agreements that were signed by both Ministers on behalf of their respective countries.
The Dakhla Agreement seeks to promote among others trade and investment, energy, agriculture, housing, and education.

For More Inquiries:
Contact the Directorate of Strategic Communications
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tower Hill, Freetown.
+23276571819