State House, Banjul, 12th September 2025: His Excellency President Adama Barrow on Wednesday received letters of credence of the Ambassadors of Japan and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire accredited to The Gambia, at the State House in Banjul.

Upon presenting his letter of credence to President Adama Barrow, Ambassador Akamatsu Takeshi of Japan conveyed a special wish of the Japanese Emperor for enhanced cooperation with The Gambia. He acknowledged President Barrow’s call for the reform of the United Nations during the last United Nations General Assembly, a move highly appreciated by Japan.

Ambassador Akamatsu Takeshi felt privileged to be assigned to The Gambia and is willing to work harder for the enhancement of bilateral development cooperation in human security, food security, digitalization, grassroot initiatives and other priority areas of The Gambia Government. The opening of a Gambian embassy in Japan and the establishment of a foreign service academy in The Gambia are processes that the Japanese Government is keen to accompany.

In his welcoming remarks, President Barrow congratulated Ambassador Takeshi for his accreditation to The Gambia. He highlighted the success of Japanese projects especially the provision of portable water to over 50,000 Gambians. As his Government prioritises agricultural mechanisation, President Barrow expresses a desire to “work with our good friend, Japan in building capacities, providing equipment and rehabilitating lands.” The President recalled the disruptions of the global food supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons learned from that experience have inspired him to lead the agricultural mechanisation and food self-sufficiency drive for the benefit of Gambians.

In presenting his letter of credence to President Adama Barrow, the Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire accredited to The Gambia Mamadou Haïdara conveyed the special greetings of President Alassane Ouattara and his wish for President Barrow’s prayers for a prevailing peace in the sub-region. Ambassador Haïdara disclosed that Côte d’Ivoire has accepted an energy-sharing partnership with The Gambia among other engagements that would intensify the good working relations between the two countries.

President Barrow congratulated Ambassador Haïdara on his appointment and expressed gratitude for the good news on the energy cooperation. “Energy used to be a privilege. Now it is a right. One cannot industrialise without reliable and affordable electricity” President Barrow said while recognizing the strong relations between Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia. To address sub-regional challenges such as air travel, President Barrow, encourage the inclusion of Banjul on the routes of Air Côte d’Ivoire, citing the need to work in achieving our common goals through ECOWAS. He thanked President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire for supporting The Gambia’s transition and being a firm believer in the ideals of ECOWAS.