Sierra Leone Ambassador To Türkiye Francess Virginia Anderson Presents Letter of Credentials To Turkish President, Extends Goodwill Message From President Julius Maada Bio

 

Presidential Complex, Ankara, Thursday 26 December 2024 - Sierra Leone Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye, Francess Virginia Anderson, PhD, has presented her letter of Credence to the President of Türkiye, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; and has extended a goodwill message from His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, to his brother and colleague.

 

The presentation of ambassadorial credentials is a significant ritual in the world of diplomacy, steeped in tradition and history. It is a moment when an assigned ambassador to a country formally assumes their role as the representative of their country to a foreign government. Sierra Leone - Türkiye relations were established in 1971. The Turkish Embassy in Freetown commenced its operations as of 1 February 2018. Sierra Leone has opened an embassy in Ankara in the beginning of 2020.

 

Bilateral Trade Volume between Türkiye and Sierra Leone as at the end of 2024 was at 83 Million Dollars. Primary goods exported from Türkiye are flour, sugar, iron and steel products, cement, various food products, cable, plastic wrap. Turkish imports mainly consist of hulk, titanium and leather products. Turkish Airlines flies from İstanbul to Freetown 3 times a week.

 

Being the second resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary since the establishment of the Mission in 2020, Her Excellency Francess Virginia Anderson, PhD, expressed gratitude to the government and the people of the Republic of Türkiye for their warmth reception, saying that both countries have a great potential of expanding the Bilateral Trade Relation and Volume, which she said would boost economic growth and cooperation, whilst expressing optimism to work with the host country and continue to concretise the relations between them. Ambassador Anderson further told the Turkish Presidency of her urgent plan to organize the very first Sierra Leone Trade and Investment Summit in Türkiye. She added that such a summit would play a crucial role in fostering economic growth and development for participating countries: By bringing together business leaders, government officials, and industry experts, to also create opportunities for networking and collaboration.

The drive she said would explore new markets, establish partnerships, and increase exports, which could lead to job creation and enhanced economic activities for both Sierra Leone and Türkiye, including other partners.

 

On his path, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, congratulated Ambassador Virginia Anderson on her appointment, and subsequent presentation of her Letter of Credence, saying that there was every need for Türkiye and Sierra Leone to increase on their Trade Volume. “Turkish Investors are playing a critical role in the development of Sierra Leone airport, mining, and electricity sectors. It is important that we further build on this relation as it will set an example for other investors”, President Erdoğan noted. The Turkish President therefore urged Ambassador Virginia Anderson to concentrate on the work of ratifying and implementing pending agreements between the two countries.

 

For Further Inquiries:

Sierra Leone Embassy Ankara, Türkiye sierraleoneembassyturkey@gmail.com

Twitter: @TurkeySLE

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