RESPONSE SPEECH ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF LETTERS OF CREDENCE BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND TO HIS EXCELLENCY DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA,PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE
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Mar 21, 2013, 17:00 |
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I am honored to accept your letter of Credence by which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has accredited you as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Sierra Leone.
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As rightly stated by you, Britain and Sierra Leone have deep historical and cultural ties. Our country traces its ideals of freedom and justice to a joint enterprise between Africans and British citizens to end slavery, spread legitimate trade, and the worthier values of faith, education and security. More than two centuries after that historic compact, these ideals still power the relationship between Great Britain and Sierra Leone.
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President Koroma responding |
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Today British Companies are very much engaged in the economic transformation of Sierra Leone. Today,Her Majesty's Government, through IMMAT and now ISAT, is engaged in entrenching security in our land; and Britain's Department for International Development is supporting us meet challenges in the health, justice, extractive and other sectors.Let me, through you, transmit to Her Majesty's Government, and the people of Britain, our deep appreciation of Britain's invaluable support for our democracy, our security, and socio- economic transformation.
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We very much value our relationship with Britain. We believe that the historic compact is on a sounder footing for greater engagement that will be mutually beneficial to the citizens and governments of our countries. We aim at boosting trade with Britain; we aim at improving transparent relationships between British Private Companies operating in Sierra Leone and our citizens; we are acting towards greater reforms of our doing business environment to attract more foreign direct investment. We will continue to boost security with support from ISAT, continue to strengthen our democracy, continue to act as a force for peace and freedom in Africa and the entire world, and we look forward to the support of our friendliest of countries, Great Britain, as we commence the implementation of our Agenda for Prosperity.
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I wish you a happy and fulfilling tenure in Sierra Leone.
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Newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone.