The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and The Kingdom of Netherlands Wednesday endorsed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement between the two countries.
The signing ceremony was presided over by Abdoulie Jammeh, Director General of GCAA and ambassador Pieter Jan Kleiweg De Zwaan of the Emabassy of the Kingdom of Netherland in Senegal for the Kingdom of Netherlands.
Delivering his address at the signing ceremony, the permanent secretary at the ministry of Works and infrastructure, Abdoulie Camara exprssed his sincere delight in getting the agreement signed in The Gambia.
PS. Camara buttressed the fact that the two countries has had a long standing partnership and signing a new bilateral Air service accord will further strengthen the relationship, in the process boost the socio-economic development and free air service both Destination Gambia and Destination The Netherlands.
” Netherlands is just few hours from The Gambia and tourism figures has shown that it is second to the United Kingdom in terms of tourist visitors to The Gambia. This was not achieved overnight but through the sincere and friendly atmosphere the two countries have created over the years”.
” I therefore want to assure you that The Gambia government would continue deepening its diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Netherlands for the mutual benefit of the two countries,” PS Camara said.
For his part, Abdoullahi Jammeh, Director general of GCAA, said the signed agreement is in relation to the context of the Chicago Convention which harps on the liberalization of air transport for the purpose if promoting aviation as a means of contributing towards economic development.
DG Jammeh further delved on the strong will, commitment and support The Gambia government attaches to air transport as a means of deepening relations with other parts of the world by promoting the movement of people and goods through air transport.
He therefore called on Ambassador De Zwaan and his delegation to feel free and enjoy the warmth of The Gambia.
In his address, ambassador Pieter Jan Kleiweg De Zwaan expressed sincere thanks The government of The Gambia for the invitation accorded to him and his delegation. He went further to explain that the signed agreement is a 24 page document that deal with how aero planes can work, land and fly in the two countries. He described the endorsed bilateral agreement as a very important step to the Kingdom of Netherlands.
He singled out the article that deals with air safety, taxation, dangerous cargo etc. as one of the pillars of the accord.
” I am elated to note that the air service agreement will also help increase tourism in the country as Dutch market is the second major contributors of tourists to Destination Gambia”.
” I want to congratulate the GCAA for their excellent negotiation on this agreement while looking forward for a successful implementation of the agreement”, ambassador Zwaan concluded.
Present at the signing ceremony were the DPS, Ministry of Tourism and Culture; Director General of The Gambia Tourism Board, the Chairman, GCAA Board of directors, Staffs of the embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
FRENCH VERSION
