President Dr Julius Maada Bio received letters of recall and letters of credence from six newly accredited envoys representing their respective countries at a formal ceremony held at State House in Freetown.
The diplomats included Her Excellency, Ms. Norma Sanchez Aguila, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Sierra Leone; His Excellency, Mr. Abdelhafid Hachem, Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria; His Excellency, Mr. Roey Gilad, Ambassador of the State of Israel; Her Excellency, Ms. Myriam Montrac, High Commissioner of Canada; His Excellency, Mr. Isaac Keen Parashina, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya; and His Excellency, Mr. Dominique Favre, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of Sierra Leone.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners expressed their deep honour and enthusiasm at the opportunity to serve in Sierra Leone, and conveyed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between their respective nations and Sierra Leone during their tenure.
They assured President Bio of their governments’ continued support for Sierra Leone’s development priorities, particularly in areas such as education, health, agriculture and food processing, peace and security, cultural exchange, women’s empowerment, and gender development.
In his response, President Bio warmly welcomed the envoys and formally accepted their letters of credence. He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s long-standing and cordial relations with Cuba, Algeria, Israel, Canada, Kenya, and Switzerland. The President expressed optimism that their presence would help deepen bilateral cooperation and yield tangible benefits for the peoples of all nations represented.
President Bio also assured the envoys of his administration’s full support, and encouraged them to work collaboratively with Sierra Leonean institutions to advance shared goals. He concluded by proposing a toast to strong diplomatic ties and mutual prosperity.