President Yahya Jammeh on Friday 27th March 2009 received the Guinea Bissau Chief of Defence Staff, Navy Captain Joze Zamore Induta who was on a two-day working visit. He was accompanied to State House by his counterpart the Gambia Chief of Defence Staff Major General Lang Tombong Tamba.

Speaking at the Cabinet room, President Jammeh welcomed the Chief of Defence Staff Captain Joze Zamora Induta as "a member of the family".

President Jammeh thanked the Prime Minister and the President of Guinea Bissau through Captain Induta who have allowed him to come to The Gambia. He said "we are grateful to receive you since you have chosen The Gambia to be your first destination after your appointment as Chief of Defence Staff of Guinea Bissau Armed Forces." President Jammeh said Captain Induta's visit to The Gambia did not come to him as a surprise. "The relationship between The Gambia and Guinea Bissau is not based on economy and politics, but rather on blood relationship," President Jammeh explained that there are three types of relations between the two countries, namely economy, political and blood.

"We as a country are convinced and know that Guinea Bissau and The Gambia are one and are the same people but divided by the colonialists. During the liberation war of Guinea Bissau many prominent Gambians fought alongside with them, people like Yafaye Camara and Ansumana Manneh," President Jammeh observed. He assured Chief of Defence Staff Captain Jose Zamora Induta that The Gambia will stand by Guinea Bissau at all levels, as he put it "no matter what happens, The Gambia is always beside you". President Jammeh made it clear to the Chief of Defence Staff of Guinea Bissau that The Gambia has no interest in choosing the leadership of Guinea Bissau, and pointed out that the role of The Gambia is to ensure that there is stability at all times in Guinea Bissau. He said without stability in Guinea Bissau there will obviously be no development no matter what resources they may have.

President Jammeh also assured Captain Joze Zamora Induta that, when they need Gambia's help in fighting drug, we will offer the assistance. He revealed that The Gambia was a drug trafficking point, but due to intense strategies, it has now reduced. President Jammeh assured his support to Guinea Bissau at all the time.

In her welcoming speech at the occasion, the Vice President Dr. Ajaratou Isatou Njie-Saidy said "you can see how close the relationship between The Gambia and Guinea Bissau is, and it is getting stronger day by day." The Vice President said the two Chiefs of Defence Staff have said it all and she further reiterated the position of the President of The Gambia with regards to the relations between The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. Vice President Njie-Saidy told the audience that The Gambia was the first country to be a friend of Guinea Bissau at the United Nations adding The Gambia was the first country to send peacekeepers to Guinea Bissau.

Recently, the Vice President said, before elections in Guinea Bissau, President Jammeh invited all the political parties in The Gambia and adviced them to have a peaceful election, to ensure that they respect the outcome of the elections and whosoever wins it.

The Chief of Defence Staff Major General Lang Tombong Tamba thanked His Excellency President Jammeh for spearing his time to receive his colleague, the Chief of Defence Staff of Guinea Bissau Navy Captain Joze Zamora Induta.

"I have the opportunity to thank my colleagues and brother Major General Lang Tombong Tamba for the hospitality he has offered me," CDS Induta said. He said the memorandum of understanding is just a formality and has gone through it before coming here and "I have accepted all what it contains and support it fully. I feel at home, I am in my home," he said.

He said the treatment he received from his colleague can only a be from a brother. I have a moral duty to choose The Gambia as the first country to visit. "This," he said "is only one side and on the other hand I share the same concern with the President of The Gambia. I know this is always a concern to the President and that was why I choose The Gambia to be my first country to visit."

The meeting was attended by Secretaries of State, Permanent Secretaries and Senior Armed Forces Officers was chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Defence Joseph Jasseh.