APS : TUESDAY 09 APRIL 2019
ALGIERS- Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum and Sierra Leone counterpart Alie Kabba on Monday in Algiers underlined the need for fostering the relations between the two countries and “raise them to a
higher level” in the interest of the two countries and contribute to bringing the two peoples closer.
“We agreed to further reinforce our bilateral cooperation and intensify consultation on the regional and international questions of common interest,” Sabri Boukadoum told a joint news conference with Sierra Leone counterpart.
The Algerian foreign minister who welcomed Alie Kabba’s visit to Algeria, the first of a Sierra Leone’s FM in more than 30 years affirmed that the visit constitutes an “opportunity for the two countries to further reinforce their bilateral cooperation and consultation the regional and international questions of common interest.”
The talks between the two officials revolved around a number of avenues of the bilateral cooperation and examine the situation in the region, notably in Libya, Mali, in the Sahel and in Western Sahara.
The talks have been the occasion to discuss the scourge of terrorism and all kind of trafficking, according to the minister.
The two officials also “coordinated their positions both within the African Union (AU) and in the United Nations.”
On the occasion, the Foreign minister said that Sierra Leone, a Member State of the African Union, ensures coordination at the Committee of Ten.
This Committee is the AU body responsible for promoting the African Common Position on the UN Security Council Reform, an increasingly important matter in international relations.
“This is a very important issue, it is an issue that mortgages our future, and we must do this work together,” he added, noting “convergence of views” between the two countries.
“We have no point of disagreement,” he said.
Sabri Boukadoum also announced the holding, before the end of 2019, of the Third Algerian-Sierra Leonean Joint Commission, noting that the two parties have agreed to finalize the draft agreements in various fields, particularly in the energy sector.
Eight draft agreements in several fields such as tourism, mining and education are being finalized.
The new foreign minister said, moreover, that “Algerian diplomacy remains active” and “will continue its mission, despite the current situation of the country.”
Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Alie Kabba, expressed the wish for the two countries to bring their bilateral relations to a level “able to meet the requirements of the current situation in terms of ongoing dialogue and coordination”.
