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Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, has led a delegation from the UAE on an official working visit to the Republic of Sierra Leone, to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries.
During his meeting with President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Dr. Al Jaber conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and their wishes for further progress and prosperity for Sierra Leone.
He pointed out that the visit comes in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to promote the existing relations between the two countries and to explore new avenues of cooperation between the two sides.
Al Jaber said that the UAE and Sierra Leone have enjoyed strong and long-standing ties dating back to 1982, noting that these relations witnessed a tangible push after the successful visit of the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the UAE in October 2019 and the visit of a UAE delegation to Sierra Leone headed by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation that focused on discussing ways to further develop cooperation in various fields, including health, education, energy, agriculture, mining, and infrastructure. He also explained that this visit comes as part of the efforts made to increase the volume of foreign trade between the two countries.
For his part, President Bio welcomed the visit of the Emirati delegation and conveyed his greetings to the UAE’s leadership, stressing his country’s interest in developing bilateral relations with the UAE in various fields, based on the prestigious position enjoyed by the UAE and the great progress the country achieved in various fields.
During the visit, the two countries signed an agreement to avoid double taxation, an agreement to protect and encourage investment, and a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint committee between the two countries.
The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and the Government of Sierra Leone signed a Memorandum of Understanding on financing $10 million in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises projects in Sierra Leone. Moreover, the UAE’s leading agricultural company, Elite Agro, signed a joint cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security in Sierra Leone.
The two sides highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of investment, trade exchange, tourism, animal and agricultural wealth, which will further boost relations between the two countries to broader horizons.
In 2018, the UAE and Sierra Leone signed a Memorandum of Understanding, exempting their citizens from pre-entry visa requirement. The Republic of Sierra Leone backed the UAE’s nominations in all international organisations, including the UAE’s nomination as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Also, the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone was opened in Abu Dhabi in 2014.
The UAE delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development; the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development; the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar); the Elite Agro Company; the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc); the Mubadala Development Company; and the Mubadala Petroleum.