Editorial

The Gambian leader, his Excellency Professor Alhagie Dr Yahya Jammeh is on his eight official state visits to the sister republic of Taiwan. Since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the Gambia and Taiwan in 1995, these two countries have been stating soldier to soldier in pursuit of common objectives. Since then, Taiwan has been instrument in accomplishing the development drive of the country. Their immense contribution in the field of agriculture, education, health, science and technology cannot be over emphasized, while the Gambia on our part is aggressively defending the right of Taiwan at the international stage to participate in the United Nations and its affiliate organizations.

This visit of our presidents to Taiwan, the first under the regime of the new Taiwan leadership will therefore upon a new page in our relationship. We are optimistic that the two leaders will discuss matters of great concern that will be of paramount significance to the two nations particularly in the mid of the international economic downturn.

Such state visit will accord the two leaders the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of building bridges across the South, which has always been their objective. More over, they can be able to discuss measures that can further strengthen and widen those bridges to reach our development objectives and to be able to integrate into the world economy and influence the processes that shape the new international economic relations of the 21st century and also  reiterate their determination to take the necessary measures, including the identification of resources and design appropriate follow up mechanisms to make full use of the existing bi-lateral ties between the two states.

Development is no ordinary word.  It is, in effect, a commitment that, in our countries, and indeed in the global community, resources and knowledge will be brought to bear to ensure the creation of a world free of want and fear, where every human being has all opportunities to grow and contribute to her or his fullest potential.  Effective participation in decision-making, since these decisions affect each citizen intimately, is therefore a sine qua non for development.  It is to such participatory development that the Gambia and Taiwan is committed, hence explaining their determination to engendering south- south cooperation.

It is the ambition of president Jammeh to ensure that the south countries emancipate themselves from poverty and underdevelopment using their own available means. This is why he spears no efforts in ensuring that strong diplomatic ties exist among us. We hope that the other southern countries will soon follow suit to this respect so that collectively we can trash our common predicaments. It is it is unison and harmony among people of common interest that yields the achievement of success. The Gambia and Taiwan are therefore models in championing the success of the south in development.