President Adama Barrow and the visiting Spanish delegation
By Landing Ceesay
The Republic of The Gambia and the Kingdom of Spain have formalized their commitment to addressing irregular migration and combating crime by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreements were signed during the visit of Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to The Gambia on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Lang Yabo, Permanent Secretary 1 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, emphasized the longstanding bilateral relationship between The Gambia and Spain, dating back to 1965.
Ambassador Yabo noted that building a secure and prosperous world requires strong international partnerships, and Prime Minister Sanchez’s visit is a significant step toward that goal.
“The two countries (The Gambia and Spain) have done and achieved a lot together. But there is still a great potential to expand and do more, especially in the areas of Trade and investment, connectivity, tourism, agriculture, energy, and leveraging on the potential of migration. Apart from the Gambia, we have more Gambians living in Spain than anywhere in the world. Therefore, Excellencies, I consider this visit very historic and timely,” he said.
Ambassador Yabo highlighted that the relationship between The Gambia and Spain is characterized by numerous shared aspects, including intermarriages and trade, which underscore the strong connections between their people.
He emphasized that cooperation and support are key elements of the relationship, particularly in areas such as tourism, health, education, and direct people-to-people exchanges.
Domestically, Ambassador Yabo noted that both nations are committed to shared values, including the promotion of democracy, the empowerment of women and youth, peace and security, and a collaborative approach to addressing global challenges.
On the international stage, Ambassador Yabo pointed out that The Gambia and Spain work closely together on multilateral issues such as combating human smuggling, improving migration management, promoting a rules-based international order, upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and fighting transnational crime—cornerstones of peace and development.
“The Kingdom of Spain continues to be a leading player in our ECOWAS Region in support of Regional peace and security. Especially in the Sahel as well as in the areas of diplomatic, economic and development corporations. Excellencies, as humanity, our aspirations for realising a globally balanced and inclusive world, can only be realised through enhanced global solidarity, partnership, and cooperation. This is what this visit of His Excellency President Sanchez signifies.
“The visit is a testament to the excellent relationship between the two countries, and the presence of the two leaders to witness the signing of the proposed important agreement is a reaffirmation of their vision and commitment to grow these important bilateral ties. Similarly, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1965, the two friendly countries have been engaging each other in mutually beneficial relationships with Spanish Central Agencies, Local Governments, NGOs, and Individual citizens who continue to intervene in the various sectors of the Gambian economy to support our nation’s development,” Ambassador Yabo asserted.
Ambassador Yabo praised Gambian migrants in Spain for being law-abiding and hard-working, contributing significantly to the development of both their host country, the Kingdom of Spain, and their homeland, The Gambia.
He also expressed gratitude to Spain for hosting thousands of Gambians and supporting The Gambia’s development efforts.
“His Excellency Adama Barrow, and his government and the entire people of the Gambia, would continue to remember and then the Kingdom of Spain for standing by the Gambian people in an hour of greatest need.
To support the Kingdom of Spain, as President of the UN Security Council, in December 2016, contributed to maintaining peace and security in the Gambia. “Therefore in celebrating His Excellency’s historic visit, and the strength of our relationship, at the government level, we must also seize this opportunity, to salute and commend the Gambian community living in Spain and their Spanish host, for their great contribution to the development of the two countries. As pointed out, Gambians have been peaceful and hard-working migrants in Spain. And their Spanish hosts, have also been kind and tolerant, and together they continue to add value to the relationship that the two countries continue to enjoy,” Ambassador Yabo asserted.
Discussing the relationship between Spain and The Gambia, His Excellency Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, emphasized the shared commitment of both nations to combat irregular migration and crime.
“Spain and The Gambia have become key partners in the field of security. Especially in the border surveillance and the fight against irregular migration. Together we have a common goal, to save lives at sea and stop the mafias that stop people who have a legitimate desire to thrive. Our cooperation on migration issues and the fight against crime is a great example of how well our countries work together,” Prime Minister Sanchez told the media. “Spain is a reliable partner for the Gambia. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration at the bilateral level but also at the Regional and multilateral level. The present and future of Africa are prosperity, security, and is progress towards through inclusive and sustainable development, which constitutes a strategic interest for Spain. Africa deserves a role aligned with its demographic and political waves. My country wants to give one ineptitude to our relationship with Africa,” Prime Minister Sanchez stated.
Hon. Sering Modou Njie, the Gambia’s Minister of Defence, acknowledged the significant contributions the Kingdom of Spain has made to the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF).
Minister Njie assured that the Gambia will continue to work closely with Spain to strengthen bilateral ties and further enhance the relationship.
“Your historic visit today is a clear testament of our special relationship that happily exists between the Gambia and the Kingdom of Spain. This visit signifies the commitment Spain attaches to the Special relationship that we continue to share. I am happy to report that the Republic of the Gambia and Spain continue to enjoy this bilateral relationship on Defence and Security, ” he said.
The Defence Minister expressed his gratitude to the government of Spain for its support to the Gambia Armed Forces, particularly the Navy, through training, capacity building, and the provision and maintenance of naval vessels. He highlighted the recent donation of a high-speed naval vessel by Spain as a notable contribution.
“The Defence Minister thanked the government of Spain for rendering support to the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), particularly the Gambia Navy. In the area of training and capacity building, the provision and maintenance of the naval vessels, and most notably in recent times, we have received the special donation of this very high-speed naval vessel being donated by the Kingdom of Spain,” the Defence Minister stated.