The Minister of Defence, Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, today received the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to The Gambia, His Excellency Muhammed Bin Ali Al-Kuwari, at his office at the Ministry of Defence Complex in Banjul.
The courtesy visit reaffirmed the strong and longstanding bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of The Gambia, with both parties expressing a shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in defence, security, and capacity development.
During the meeting, Minister Joof emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing emerging and evolving security challenges. He reiterated The Gambia’s appreciation of its enduring relations with Qatar and underscored the Government’s commitment to deepening collaboration in areas that promote peace, stability, and institutional resilience.
The Minister outlined key priority areas for support, including infrastructural development, capacity building, specialized training, and joint and exchange training programmes. He further highlighted the need for enhanced border security and surveillance capabilities, as well as support to strengthen the operational capacity of the Republican National Guard in public order management, and The Gambia Navy in maritime security, and efforts to combat drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal fishing, and other transnational crimes.
In his remarks, Ambassador Al-Kuwari reaffirmed Qatar’s strong commitment to its partnership with The Gambia, noting that his country stands ready to support initiatives that advance shared objectives in peace, security, and sustainable development.
The meeting concluded on a positive and forward-looking note, with both sides expressing optimism about the future of Gambia–Qatar relations and reaffirming their commitment to translating bilateral engagements into concrete and mutually beneficial outcomes. The Ambassador also used the opportunity to extend an invitation to the Honorable Minister for an official visit to Doha in December.
The Ambassador was accompanied by the Qatari Charge de affairs, Mr. Abdallah Al-Kabi, and Mr. Bambo M.L Sillah, the Media Researcher at the Embassy of Qatar in The Gambia. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Abdoulie M.I Kah and the Military Assistant to the Honorable Minister of Defence, Commander Adama Trawalley.
