Concord Times (Freetown)
Ben Samuel Turay and Eugene Momoh
16 July 2008
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation yesterday disclosed at a press conference that Sierra Leone will be receiving three embassies in India, Senegal and Brazil as donations.
Honorable Zainab H. Bangura added that these nations will in turn open diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone in order to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with Sierra Leone.
She has been pursuing bilateral agreements with these three "emerging markets that need raw materials" as part of her strategy of promoting Sierra Leone through "active diplomacy in a changing world." It is hoped that the newly-founded relationships will help the country access increased aid and establish trade and investment partners. This initiative is part of Sierra Leone's four pronged strategy for foreign policy to increase donor base, attract training and investment opportunities, create internal peace and security for economic growth and solidify sub-regional, regional and international cooperation.
Dr. Dennis Sandy, economist at Fourah Bay College, said increased relations with India, Brazil and Senegal "is very good for foreign investors, it brings relationships. But we must be careful of doing business with them because whatever money they spend (in Sierra Leone) will be monitored." Dr. Sandy warns that foreign investors often hire their own people, instead of locals, so employment practices need to be investigated before investments are made.
A local businessman concerned with the future prospects of the national economy, Alpha Ibrahim Conteh, said the increased diplomatic and economic relationship with those countries is good, and it shows that the foreign ministry is working.
Conteh said working with emerging economic powers like India, Senegal and Brazil will benefit Sierra Leone.
"Communication is good. I hope if we have embassies in those countries, we will able to know (the) problems affecting each other," Conteh said adding that Sierra Leone already has people doing business internationally, but they might not be as profitable as those working in countries that have strong diplomatic relationship and economic ties with the government.
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