State House, Freetown, Monday 16 May 2022 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has departed Freetown this evening to meet, congratulate and commiserate with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the new President of the United Arab Emirates, UAE.
As part of his meeting with the new leadership, President Bio will convey condolence messages to the Government and People of the UAE on the passing away of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former President who died on 13 May 2022. The President is also expected to convey a congratulatory message to the newly elected President.
In an earlier statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the government described the late UAE President as “a remarkable ruler who was loved and cherished by his people. His outstanding legacy, particularly in promoting and deepening the existing relations between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the United Arab Emirates, will indeed be remembered by the Government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone.”
You will recall that then as Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan instructed a high-level delegation, led by its Minister of State, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, to visit President Bio in December 2019 and sign five agreements and MoUs for bilateral cooperation with interests in mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, education, health, water, roads, renewable energy and agriculture.
The agreements also covered the avoidance of double taxation, the protection of investments, a joint committee for cooperation agreement, a framework of cooperation for the agricultural production of rice and maize and a memorandum of understanding on small and medium scale enterprises.
His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio is expected to return to Sierra Leone on Thursday, 19 May 2022.
For More Enquiries: State House Media and Communications Unit
