The president-elect of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Cissoko Embalo, has pledged closer ties with the Gambia during a visit to Banjul.

The president-elect calls for a freedom of movement for citizens of the two countries.

‘’I would like to affirm that The Gambia will be my priority once I am inaugurated. We do not want any Laissez-passer between Banjul and Bissau. We want no borders between our citizens. This is my own decision,” he told journalists, following his closed-door meeting with President Barrow,

The President-elect of Guinea Bissau is on a one day visit to The Gambia to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries and to also formally invite President Barrow, who he described as a “big brother” to his inauguration, next month.

He said his discussion with President Barrow centered on forging the already strong ties between Bissau and Banjul, particularly, in the areas of education, health, agriculture, tourism and culture.

Stressing that better prospects lie ahead of Guinea Bissau as a country after years of political instability, President-elect Embalo said ‘’The new generation of Bissau Guineans will not repeat mistakes that keep their population in cycles of conflicts for decades.”

He expressed optimism that under his leadership, he would work for closer regional integration with the Gambia and Senegal.