Supportive of Sierra Leone’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council on the non-permanent category, the Charge’ d’affaires of the Embassy of Portugal in Dakar, Joao Ciotta Neves on Tuesday, during his courtesy visit on the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Senegal, Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma, called for a reciprocal support from Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone is bidding for a seat on the United Nations Security Council in the non-permanent category for 2024- 2025 as the sole candidate from the ECOWAS region and the African Union.
Portugal, on the other hand is seeking support from Sierra Leone for its bid from 2027-2028.
The Portuguese Charge d’affaires expressed the common goals shared between Sierra Leone and Portugal and the bilateral relationship enjoyed over the years. He also said that the two countries support multilateralism “… and i believe we can find a common agenda at the UN Security Council. We support your candidacy,”he said.
Joao Ciotta Neves also informed Ambassador Koroma about the forthcoming UN Ocean Conference co-organized by Portugal and Kenya and extended an invitation to institutions in Sierra Leone.
In his response, Ambassador AlhajiBrima Elvis Koroma emphasized the approach of multilateralism shared by the two countries and shared the need for a reform of the UNSC. He appreciated the support of Portugal to Sierra Leone’s bid for the non-permanent category at the Security Council and informed him that the President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio is the Chairman Committee of 10 in the African Union for the reform of the United Nations Security Council.
Ambassador Koroma also informed him about the long history shared between the two countries dating back to pre-independence, and that it was a Portuguese, Pedro Da Cintra that discovered Sierra Leone. He also informed him about the trails left behind by the Portuguese like the Portuguese town church.
Ambassador Koroma also informed him about the foreign affairs diplomacy academy that will be opened in Sierra Leone in September and sought technical support from Portugal.
The Portuguese Charge’ d’affaires responded that they have a diplomatic institute in Lisbon that does exchange programs on diplomacy with the Republic of Cape Verde and would offer to extend such support to Sierra Leone.
By Ishmael Bayoh, Information Attache’, Sierra Leone Embassy Dakar, Senegal