Gambia Stresses Support for Iran

Gambian Foreign Minister Bala Garba Jahumpa voiced his country’s support for Iran, stressing that Banjul will always accompany Tehran under all conditions. According to a report released by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Bureau, Jahumpa made the remarks in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki here on Sunday, where the two sides explored ways to expand political and economic relations and exchanged views about international issues.

During the meeting, the Gambian foreign minister voiced Banjul’s strong support for Iran’s stances on different regional and international developments, saying that Gambia will always side with Iran.

He further mentioned inauguration of his country’s embassy in Tehran and the follow-up on the previous agreements concluded by the two sides as the main goals pursued by his current visit to Tehran.

To end his words, the Gambian foreign minister expressed the hope that the Islamic Republic’s embassy would soon start activity in his country.

For his part, Iranian foreign minister viewed Tehran-Banjul ties as desirable, and said that meetings between the two countries’ presidents underpinned the growth of Iran-Gambia cooperation in different fields.

He said inauguration of the Gambian embassy in Tehran served as an effective factor in implementing the agreements signed by the two states.

Noting Iran’s capabilities and experiences in technical and engineering services, Mottaki reminded Iran’s 100-year-long experience in some industrial areas, and mentioned that Iranian companies can implement different projects in Gambia in such fields as agriculture, industries and power transfer lines.

He further briefed his Gambian counterpart about Tehran’s approach towards Banjul, and expressed the hope that the two sides’ agreements could be put into effect through the adoption of proper mechanisms.

Inauguration of the Gambian embassy in Tehran took place in compliance with the contents of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) endorsed by the two countries’ foreign ministers in December 2006 and indicated the two nations’ resolve to materialize the goals sought by senior Iranian and Gambian officials.

During the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister informed his Gambian counterpart of the Islamic Republic’s preparedness to open its embassy in that country.