The Pakistani Ambassador to Dakar overseeing Gambia and other countries in West Africa has promised his government support to the Gambia in trade, agriculture, health and other sectors.

Imran Mirza was speaking to Gambiana on Friday after meeting the Pakistani community in the Gambia at Sand Beach Hotel in Kotu.

“My purpose here is to explore the expansion of trade because the amount of trade is around 12 million a year which is nothing there is so much potential here,” he said.

Prior to his meeting with Pakistani community in the Gambia on Friday, he met with the Gambia’s Youth and Trade minister and unveiled the discussion that transpired between him and the trade minister to have centred on Pakistan’s support to export rice, textile and agricultural equipment like tractors to the country.

Meanwhile, he assured his government support on the request made by the Trade minister and helping the Gambia’s tourism industry in renovating some of the dilapidating hotels.

Ambassador Imran Mirza, who is based in Dakar, is task to oversee the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Mali and other countries in the West Africa subregion.

He said he had met the administration and told them to continue the cordial relationship between Pakistan and Gambia.

On the relationship of the two countries, he said “we have a very cordial friendly relation ever since Gambia’s independence we share common religion and Gambia has always supported Pakistan in all United Nations and OIC resolutions and candidature and Pakistan has always reciprocate Gambian brothers wherever needed in diplomatic process, military process.”

Pakistan is a country in the Asian continent bordered with India. It has been supportive to the Gambia in the areas of health, education, military training and rice exportation to the Gambia.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba