IV. CO-OPERATION AND INTEGRATION

i. Bilateral Relations

Mr. Speaker,

• We take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our bilateral partners, specifically to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of China, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Egypt, the state of Kuwait and the European Union for their significant assistance. It must be mentioned that Cuba has remained supportive to The Gambia, especially in the health sector.

• The cordial ties of friendship and co-operation between The Gambia and the Republic of China-Taiwan continue to flourish with technical and financial support provided to various sectors of our economy. However, our support for ROC-Taiwan is not driven by considerations of financial gain but by our belief in the principle of self-determination and the right to exist for every nation.

ii. Sub-Regional Co-operation and Integration

Mr. Speaker,

• The drive for a second West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is in progress with the establishment of the West African Monetary Institution (WAMI), which is now operational and is located in Ghana.

• The Gambia remains committed to sub-regional co-operation and development and continues to be an active member in sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS and WAMA. We are also committed to promoting peace in the sub-region and the world at large.

• As the world in which we live today is characterised by an ever-greater urge to globalisation, our foreign policy is geared towards the maintenance of international peace, friendship and cooperation to achieve the goals of higher standards of living and prosperity for all Gambians.

iii. Relations with our Development Partners

Mr. Speaker, Sir,

• The Gambia continues to nurture and consolidate its ties with the international donor community. We have received both technical and financial support from our Development partners and assistance has been channelled either directly to the government or through NGOs. Our relationship with the multilateral institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank Group, the European Union, ADB and the Islamic Development Bank remains cordial. A worthy mention here is the U.K’s Department for International Department (DFID) for the special assistance given to our country in various forms.

• The Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) programme with the IMF is in its final year. This three-year programme was originally supported under the ESAF in 1998. The Gambia was commended for the encouraging economic performance since the beginning of the programme. The IMF noted that the progress made towards the settlement of the Alimenta dispute has improved investor confidence. However the timely implementation of the comprehensive governance program incorporated in the PRSP and the structural reforms aimed at promoting private sector activities remain crucial.

• The successful ending of the PRGF this year will pave the way for a new 3-year program with the Fund by early 2002. An IMF mission is expected in Banjul immediately after the National Assembly election to discuss the next PRGF. This august assembly is hereby reminded that the benefit of having an IMF program is that it guarantees the intervention of other bilateral and multilateral donors in terms of technical assistance. It will also enable us to be abreast with macroeconomic developments.

• The ADB provided vital support to The Gambia during the year with a D48 million loan agreement for the rural electrification project and a D47 million loan for the Artisanal Fisheries Development Project was signed with ADB, from the Nigeria Trust Fund window. The ADB Group is also providing funds for the coastal protection project along with the OPEC Fund and The Gambia Government, and implementation is expected to start in early 2002.

• The EU continues to support government’s efforts in various sectors of the economy especially education and agriculture. The Gambia will receive substantial assistance in the next five years under the new Cotonou partnership agreement between the EU and ACP countries and the funds will be disbursed through the European Development Fund.

• The different agencies of the UN family also continued to provide vital support to The Gambia. During the year, the FAO approved funding for the establishment of a food inspection network to guarantee the quality of locally produced and imported food items and to draft an all embracing national food law. With plans underway for a new five-year programme of co-operation between the Government and UNICEF as from next year, it is envisaged that this will be a more comprehensive and integrated approach to childcare and development.

• Recently our Government and the Kuwaiti Fund signed a US $10 million loan agreement for the construction of the Farafenni-Laminkoto Road. This project will be co-financed by the BADEA to the tune of US $8 million. Funding for the Irrigation Rice Development project was also finalised with the Kuwaiti Fund. The Kuwaiti Fund has financed various projects in the country including the Banjul International Airport and the Kombo Coastal Road Project.

• We would indeed like to thank the multilateral agencies and the wider donor community for their significant contributions, both technical and financial, to our socio-economic development.