Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman for the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Sierra Leone’s Parliament, according to en.people.cn.
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has debated and ratified four bilateral agreements with unanimity, including one that exempts holders of diplomatic and service passports from being required to obtain a visa before entering the People’s Republic of China.
Under the leadership of former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, governments of Sierra Leone and the People’s Republic of China signed a six point cooperation agreement, one of which being visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
Presenting the agreements to parliament, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Sanjan Kabba, said that “these agreements will enable Sierra Leone to tap into China’s new outbound investments with a view of promoting trade, inclusion and the need for strengthening and deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.”
Contributing to the debate, the Chairman for the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, noted, “there is no controversy in any of these agreements, save for Parliament to be given an explicit role during the consultations with China”, while calling for “easy visa access for MPs and Ministers in their database.” Read more