Taking questions from the media after a closed-door meeting with president Jammeh recently, he said: “The high number of visitors that come to The Gambia every year from the United Kingdom, the contribution they make to your economy [through the] tourism sector were issues we discussed.
“We also talked particularly about the unique work of the Medical Research Council (MRC) here in The Gambia which impact is far felt well beyond The Gambia. We talked about shared values and shared aims. I would like to make British companies more aware of the opportunities in The Gambia as well. I think that is the aim of every incoming ambassador to always take the relationship to the next step and I see absolutely no reason at all why that cannot be achieved here. I would certainly do everything I can to make that happen. This was an extremely worthwhile conversation and I am very grateful that the president was able to dwell much on these during our meeting”.
Despite The Gambia’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth, the envoy clarified this has not had an adverse impact on the state of bilateral relations. “We are all saddened to lose someone from the Commonwealth family – but it doesn’t affect the bilateral relationship. What I am looking forward to, is building on the outstanding people-to-people relationship between our two countries, and developing a constructive relationship with the Gambia government through working with them,” he said.
Colin Crorkin’s last tour of duty was as consul general in Kabul. He was deputy ambassador in Manila, The Philippines, for five years and was in Tripoli, Libya from 2002 to 2004.
This coincided with a period when Britain sought rapprochement with Gaddafi and Colin Crorkin was thrusted into the thick of two major issues, the Lockerbie bombing aftermath and disarming Libya of its weapons of mass destruction. Then, after the second Iraq war, he was consul-general in Kirkuk, in oil-rich northern Iraq which he described as “a most interesting time.”
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