The Gambian leader has described his five-day state visit to the Republic of China on Taiwan as a resounding success. His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh was speaking Monday morning to waiting journalists shortly after landing at the Banjul International Airport.

President Jammeh was accompanied to Taiwan by a high-powered delegation including the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Works, Construction and Infrastructure respectively. The visit accorded him the opportunity to meet with his Taiwanese counterpart, President Ma Ying-jeou, and also attend the graduation ceremony of the Gambian students studying in Taiwan universities among a host of activities on his itinerary.

“It has been a very successful visit because the Taiwanese were looking forward to it, even though it was very tough due to the tight schedule we had. They made sure that they kept us busy and we visited many places and they also reciprocated to the latter the hospitality that was extended to them when they were here,” the Gambian leader said. He added: “The relationship between the two countries has been strengthened and the visit was like visiting a neighbour.”

On how he felt being conferred yet another prestigious award for his exemplary leadership role in the continent, the president said:“Well, every human being feels grateful when he/she is honoured. So I have been very grateful about it, but again I have received it on behalf of all Gambians because what we did here led to the recognition. If Gambians were not firmly behind me and supported me in my development endeavours, I may not be able to have had any award.

So it is not for me as Yahya Jammeh but it is for the entire Gambian populace. So I am proud of being a Gambian and I am proud of being the leader of The Gambia. I am also proud of our students in Taiwan because wherever we go, they told us that not only they behave well but they are also very competitive in class and they are also very serious with their classes and I was even told by the foreign minister of Taiwan that when other students leave, Gambian students still stay up to late hours for studies.

So that shows the resilience of Gambians not only they are in foreign country but they are also competing with home-based students [Taiwanese]. They have done extremely well among other allies of Taiwan studying in Taiwan. They were singled out as among the extra-ordinary group of students ever received in Taiwan from their allies and they have asked us to send more students.”

He also rated Taiwan’s policy on issuing scholarship to foreign students as very good, saying it qualifies any foreign student an automatic scholarship to the next degree programme. “I think it is very important because Gambians have registered the highest in terms of the scholarship awarded to foreign students, based on their performance.

So, we were welcomed with a Gambian Taiwanese, and among all these foreign students there, Gambians are the most popular,” the president further stated, and went on to urge Gambian students in Taiwan to complete their initial courses first before opting for another course. “Come with an academic degree first before you get another degree,” he added.

Trade opportunities

President Jammeh disclosed that the Foreign and Trade ministers also hosted a trade opportunities seminar to boost the trade opportunities between the two countries. But what was more important at that seminar he said was that the ministers made it known to the Taiwanese the opportunities in The Gambia in terms of investment, the incentives attached, and areas of priority.

“They were fed with all the requisite information the investor needs to be able to decide whether or not to invest in The Gambia. All what we can do is to market the country and it is up to the investor to decide and I hope that by virtue of our relationship with Taiwan they will come and invest in The Gambia. I am already aware of Taiwanese who have invested in The Gambia since 1997, so we leave the rest with the Almighty Allah,” he concluded.