By Lamin Cham
Senegal’s prime minister Ousmane Sonko and The Gambia’s vice president Muhammed Jallow yesterday called for closer economic ties between their two countries, setting the scene for the second economic, trade and investment forum hosted in Banjul.
According to Prime Minister Sonko, economic and commercial ties are the fastest ways to integrate nations no matter how far or close they may be, geographically or ideologically. He said the European Union is one such example where even two of most important countries that fought the Second World War on opposite sides came to form an economic union.
Sonko reasoned that since The Gambia and Senegal have always been one people, the two are therefore much better placed to achieve the pan-African ideals being pursued at both continental and Ecowas levels.
He described the recent OMVG summit in Banjul which he attended as another front that binds the two nations in realising mutual benefits for the energy needs of the two countries.
Mr Sonko said both countries stand to benefit more from closer economic collaboration and hamornisation.
“For example, some of Senegal’s economic zones border The Gambia both in the south and north and harmonisation of economic goals can bring mutual benefits for the two countries,” he said.
PM Sonko acknowledged the role of the Senegalo-Gambian Permanent Secretariat and called for its strengthening to achieve the goals of the economic forum and other bilateral matters between the two countries.
Vice President Jallow urged participants from the countries to turn contacts into contracts and move towards the full realisation of goals set out at the maiden forum in Dakar last October.
Earlier, the GIEPA chief executive officer, Ousainou Senghore, and his counterpart Bakary Bathily of APIX, updated the forum on the progress made and targets on their radar in the framework of the forum.
Gambian historian Hassoum Ceesay expostulated on the historical journey of the beginning of economic and political ties between the two countries.
The forum was conceived by The Gambia High Commission in Dakar and jointly implemented by the two countries’ investment institutions, GIEPA and APIX.
Participants from government and private institutions spent the day exploring economic opportunities and finding synergies on customs, energy, transport, maritime, economic zones, infrastructure and a host other sectors.
The forum wraps up this evening with a cultural gala dinner and an awards night.
