0100,0100,0100New Gambian Amb. Bojang Presents Credentials at White House Times New Roman arialU.S. Department Of StateTimes New Roman arialFebruary 7, 2000 Washington, DC - Statement By H.E. John P. Bojang Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The Republic Of The Gambia To The United States Of America On The Occasion Of The Presentation Of His Letters Of Credence To H.E. President William Jefferson Clinton Mr. President, I am deeply grateful for the privilege of an opportunity to present my Credentials to you today by which I have been accorded the challenging task of serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of The Gambia to the greatest of modern nations, the United States of America. Please accept also the letter of recall of my predecessor, H.E. Mr. Crispin Grey- Johnson. I am equally pleased to convey fraternal greetings and sincere best wishes from The Gambian President, His Excellency Dr. Alhaji Yahya A J J. Jammeh, to you and your family as well as to the entire American people. As you may be aware, all Gambians, in telepathic unison, hold the American Nation in very high esteem and together wish you resounding success in pursuing your dearest hopes and aspirations. Your enviable personal innate leadership qualities, coupled with the characteristic social openness of your people, their diligence and adept ability at creating dynamic entrepreneurial opportunities with catalystic effects on the nation's economy, as well as their unique cohesion and unity with government in pursuing goals of paramount significance to their country, are inspirational, not only to the Gambian people and their leadership but also to the whole World. Mr. President, The aforementioned traits and endowments of the American society have contributed immensely in accelerating your country's evolution from poverty, dependence and previous foreign political constrictions and domination. They are also the architect of your country's significant modern role as a top co-bearer of the torch and reins of power and influence over international economic and political affairs. Considering countries in chronological sequence of their emergence as nations, the American Nation could be considered to be too young to have assumed the leadership position it occupies in the world today. However, the special factors that have made it possible for your country to rise so rapidly into an affluent and self-reliant position on the globe could also be emulated by any other genuine leadership with great success. Based on the massive achievements we have made over the past five years in broad areas of our economy across the country, and assuming that the trend continues and that peace and stability are maintained within our borders and in the sub-region, we humbly believe that, with the requisite tools in our hands to facilitate our endeavors, The Gambia can also accelerate its development process, compensate for the lost thirty-year post-independence period and emerge successful. Obviously, wide concerted effort and action are a prerequisite for the realization of this lofty objective. We are fully aware of the significant role the International Community can play in facilitating our development efforts and will encourage their understanding and participation by every means at our disposal. Mr. President, The position adopted by the American Government following the ousting and replacement of the previous government in our country was understandable. Given the devastating situations experienced by civilians in previous similar armed military interventions in our sub- region, a new situation in The Gambia, could not have been spontaneously taken for granted. It is our government's firm commitments to eradicate the political wedge which has separated our two countries since 1994 and which remained in place even after Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 1996. In about eighteen months' time we are going back to the polls to select a new government. The International Community, with American Government representation at the forefront, will again be invited to attend as observers. Following the completion of this democratic exercise and the installation of a new government, it is our fervent hope that Gambia's eligibility for direct benefits from your country's generous development support will now be fully restored. Mr. President, Turning to the nightmare of armed conflicts that have plagued our region, I wish to inform you that The Gambia will continue to play a pivotal role in the search for their resolution. You may have been aware of the part our government has played to help resolve the Guinea- Bissau crises. Efforts to achieve similar results in Senegal and Sierra Leone are continuing. In view of the importance of global peace and regional harmony, my government will avail itself of every opportunity to participate in brokering peace wherever the need arises, either via bilateral channels or through the relevant institutions of the United Nations, whichever may be more appropriate. Mr. President, In conclusion, I wish to thank you for the kind reception of President Jammeh during what we consider to have been a very useful visit to the United States of America and for all the development support my country has received through your designated agencies. We are equally grateful for the visit to The Gambia last year of two Congressional personalities and for the apt choice of H.E. Mr. George Haley, a gentleman of great objectivity and frankness, as your Ambassador to our country. My humble resolve is to work with the American Government and other relevant American institutions and personalities to create an atmosphere of mutual understanding, partnership and collaboration between our two countries and peoples. Mr. President, Once more, please, accept my profound gratitude and highest esteem. The PRESIDENT'S REPLY TO The REMARKS OF The NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF The REPUBLIC OF The GAMBIA PAUL BOJANG UPON The OCCASION OF The PRESENTATION OF HIS LETTER OF CREDENCE Mr. Ambassador: I am pleased to accept your Letter of Credence from President Jammeh, which establishes you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of The Gambia to the United States of America, and I acknowledge the Letter of Recall of your distinguished predecessor. Thank you for your greetings on behalf of the government and people of The Gambia. I extend a warm welcome to you and your family on your arrival in Washington. As you noted, the personal ties between The Gambia and the United States are strong, as exemplified in Alex Haley's novel "Roots," where he explored the origins of his family. Similarly, the Peace Corps has long been active in The Gambia, assisting the Gambian people and building new friendships. I hope these personal ties of family and friends will deepen in the coming years. Although our governments have, at times, viewed issues quite differently, I believe that our partnership during The Gambia's term on the United Nations Security Council points the way towards a more cooperative and productive relationship. Similarly, your country has been a useful intermediary in the search for peace in Guinea-Bissau and in the Casamance region of Senegal. We will doubtlessly continue to agree to disagree on some issues, but with the commitment and goodwill of both countries we can move forward. We urge your government to move now to establish a free, fair and transparent process for the presidential election in 2001. We look forward to working closely with you and your Embassy on such issues as regional stability, democracy and human rights, civil aviation and other aspects of U.S.-Gambian relations. Again, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you as The Gambia's Ambassador. I wish you every success in fulfilling your agenda here in Washington. (Distributed by the Office of the International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------