Sierra Leone is now looking to forging new diplomatic relations to help it in its developmental drives and Russia has been the first country the Foreign Affairs Minister visited in achieving this venture.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prof. David Francis on Tuesday 8th June, 2021 stated that, due to current international trends including the damaging effects of COVID-19 on world economies, these are dictating diplomatic policy shifts around the world and as such, Sierra Leone is now shifting its foreign policy from focusing on economic and trade to internal development.
The Minister was speaking to newspaper editors and station managers at his Tower Hill conference hall at the Ministry of foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAUC). He noted that as a result of the destructive impact COVID-19 has had on the economies of Sierra Leone’s regular developmental partners like the UK, Germany and other countries, there is need for Sierra Leone to look for other partners to assist the country’s development aspirations.
He added that in this new dynamic foreign policy shift, six topical objectives will be achieved namely, Trade and Investment with credible investors; In-country beneficiation which entails ensuring that whatever developmental projects or activities are carried out by investors and/or implementing partners, |the people of Sierra Leone must benefit directly; Achieving the goals of fundamental freedom which entails ensuring basic rights of people like the right to life and food are ensured; Taking development in our own hands which according to Prof. Francis entails that this time round, government will not sit down waiting for international bodies like the IMF and other Bretton Woods institutions to dictate what they think needs to be done to develop Sierra Leone but rather, the government would now take the lead in identifying development needs of the country; Cooperating with international development partners and Departing from post-colonial development policies which are primarily about granting aid.
It is against this background according to Minister Prof. Francis that he quite recently led a delegation to Russia to broker a none billion dollar development deal that when implemented would not only boost the energy sector but create employment opportunities as well as create wealth.
He went on to say that Sierra Leone currently stands to benefit from colossal investment and development opportunities based on the completion of the first phase of the geophysical survey which revealed enormous deposits of rich earth minerals putting Sierra Leone among the few countries which large deposits of these minerals.
He used the opportunity to dilate on three corruption matters currently being investigated by the ACC. He cited the construction of the Sierra Leone Chancery in New York, the diplomatic missions In China and Nairobi respectively, adding that persons of interest (POIs) suspected of having hands in corruption as far as these three missions are concerned have been temporarily put aside and instructed to return home for further investigation by the ACC. He however appealed to journalists to allow the investigations take its course and not prejudice it but to wait until the ACC announces the outcome.
After concluding his speech, an interactive and question session formed the climax of the engagement. Deputy Minister of MFAIC, Mamadi Gobeh-Kamara gave the welcome address, several senior MFAIC officials were also present.
Credit: Owl Newspaper
