Iceland’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, HE Sturla Sigurjonnson, on Tuesday 05/04/2022 revealed that the Nordic Island nation which has 26 diplomatic missions in 21 countries around the world, would soon be opening an embassy in the republic of Sierra Leone.
Ambassador Sigurjonnson made this revelation during a courtesy call on His Excellency Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, in the chancery of the Sierra Leone High Commission in London.
During the visit, Ambassador Sigurjonnson personally handed over a letter from the Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, for onward transmission to the Sierra Leone Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David J Francis.
In recent times the government of Iceland has expressed strong desire and demonstrated concrete determination to increase bilateral corporation between the thriving Nordic country and the progressive New Direction government of Sierra Leone, under the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
It could be recalled that in February this year, in pursuance of enhancing meaningful diplomatic ties, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland sent a strong delegation to Freetown where they engaged with officers of various ministries and organizations including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. During their stay in Freetown, the Icelandic delegation also established a tangible framework for potential cooperation with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Situated on the confluence of the North Atlantic and Artic oceans, Iceland is a country with an economy centre around fishing and tourism with fishing representing 1/3 of the entire economy.
The call for increased bilateral cooperation from Ambassador Sigurjonnson was warmly reciprocated by HE Dr. Morie Manyeh who stated that the message and the sentiments expressed by his Icelandic counterpart, on behalf of Iceland, would be properly relayed to its highest destination in Sierra Leone. Dr. Manyeh further thanked Ambassador Sigurjonnson for the courtesy call and assured him of Sierra Leone’s readiness to forge new bonds of friendship and fraternal relations with all peace-loving and development-oriented nations, including the Republic of Iceland.
Abdulai Braima
