On Tuesday 29th June 2010, H.E. Excellency Ambassador Jongopie Siaka Stevens presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Her Excellency Mrs. Doris Leuthard. On arrival at the West Wing of the Federal Palace in Bern, Switzerland, Ambassador Stevens was received by the Head of Protocol, Ambassador Lorenzo Schnyder who presented him to the President of the Swiss Confederation. Ambassador Stevens presented his Letters of Credence to the Her Excellency Mrs. Doris Leuthard and conveyed fraternal greetings from the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.

After accepting his Letters of Credence, the Swiss President and the Ambassador held discussions which bordered on the existing cordial relations between Switzerland and Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Stevens conveyed the appreciation of the Government and People of Sierra Leone to the Swiss Confederation, for the invaluable humanitarian aid interventions during the war in collaboration with the International Confederation of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. He also thanked the Swiss Confederation for its contribution towards the establishment of the Sierra Leone Special Court.

Ambassador Stevens went on to inform the President of the Swiss Confederation that under the dynamic leadership of His Excellency President Koroma, Sierra Leone has continued to maintain peace and political stability with her borders. Ambassador Stevens informed that President Koroma on his assumption of office promised the people of Sierra Leone that he would improve the energy generation in Sierra Leone and to this end, the first phase of the Bumbuna Hydro Electric Dam has been completed and the capital, now enjoys a reasonable supply of electricity.

He also informed his host that Sierra Leone before and after attaining independent status, was renowned for its high level of education and sound economy. He recalled that Sierra Leone was an exporter of rice in the sixties and seventies but due to various factors subsequent rice yields depreciated and the country became an importer of rice. He said that President Koroma was committed to reverse the situation by developing infrastructure and introducing modern technology in the agriculture sector.

He emphasized that in achieving these goals, Sierra Leone would welcome and appreciate meaningful partnership with Switzerland.

Replying, Her Excellency Mrs. Doris Leuthard informed Ambassador Stevens that her Government was pleased to have made a contribution towards the sustainability of peace in Sierra Leone through its contribution towards the establishment of the UN Special Court which was set up to bring to justice those found to be perpetrators of the atrocities committed during the rebel war.

She said that Switzerland will continue to support least developed countries like Sierra Leone through the World Bank, international financial institutions and the Swiss Development Agency, which has its regional office in Monrovia, Liberia.

He assured Ambassador Stevens of Switzerland’s support and wished him a successful tour of duty.

Earlier, on Monday 28th June 2010, Ambassador Jongopie Siaka Stevens paid courtesy calls on the Head of Protocol, Ambassador Lorenzo Schnyder von Wartensee and the Senior Regional Coordinator, Mr. Urs Beer respectively, at the West Wing of the Federal Palace. During his meetings with them, they discussed issues relating to the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.

His Excellency Ambassador Jongopie Stevens was accompanied to all of these meetings by Ms Crispina Wright, Minister Counsellor and Head of Chancery of the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Berlin, Germany

In a related development Ambassador Stvens, who is also Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Republic of Italy based in in the Federal Republic of Germany, presented his Letters of Credence as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.

J S Stevens with Yukiko Omura

At the headquarters of IFAD, he presented his Letters of Credence to the Vice President Yukiko Omura in a very impressive ceremony witnessed by the Regional Portfolio Adviser for Western and Central Africa Division Programme Management Department of IFAD and the Minister Counsellor and Head of Chancery in the Embassy of Sierra Leone, Ms. Crispina Wright.

After presenting his Letters of Credence, Ambassador Stevens conveyed greetings from the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma and the appreciation of the Government and People of Sierra Leone for the immense cooperation and assistance received and is still receiving from IFAD in the development of agriculture in Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Stevens informed his host that Sierra Leone has achieved political stability and under the leadership of President Ernest Bai Koroma, the country is making meaningful strides towards socio-economic development.

Ambassador Stevens further informed that President Koroma on his assumption of office, promised the people of Sierra Leone that his government will explore all avenues to improve on the energy situation as he believed that sustainable energy provides the springboard for economic growth in any country.

Ambassador Stevens went on to inform that with the help of the World Bank and Sierra Leone’s other development partners, the Bumbuna Hydro-electric dam is now in operation. He conveyed to his host that the other primary objective of the present government is to improve infrastructural development in all areas with particular emphasis on the agricultural sector. Ambassador Stevens recalled that Sierra Leone was an exporter of rice prior to and after Sierra Leone achieved Independent status in the early sixties but due to many factors in the intervening years, rice production declined to the extent that Sierra Leone became an importer of rice.

He informed that it is President Koroma’s goal to reverse this situation and in order to actualize it, solicited on behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone, IFAD’s continued support.

Responding, the Vice President of IFAD informed Ambassador Stevens that President Koroma’s vision for the future of agriculture in Sierra Leone was in line with that of the President of IFAD, whose vision was to help the small farmers in countries like Sierra Leone not only to become self-sufficient but also to be exporters of agricultural products which will be a major step towards achieving one of the millennium goals, which is, alleviating hunger and poverty worldwide.

His Excellency Ambassador Jongopie Stevens next presented his Letters of Credence as Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the World Food Programme to the President, Mrs. Josette Shareen.

During his discussion with Mrs. Shareen, Ambassador Stevens conveyed the appreciation of H.E. the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, the government and people of Sierra Leone for the immense food aid Sierra Leone received before and after the war especially to the Sierra Leoneans who were then internally displaced. He narrated the political and economic strides the APC government has made since it assumed the reins of government and President Koroma’s determination to eradicate poverty and hunger and to encourage small farmers to be self-sufficient.

Responding the President of WFP informed Ambassador Stevens that her Organization has been working closely with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and was very impressed with Sierra Leone’s programmes for nutrition and food security.

She informed that the World Food Programme is voluntarily funded whose primary mission is to help the hungry of the world and to ensure that food reach the right people worldwide. She further informed Ambassador Stevens that in line with President Koroma’s vision to encourage small farmers to be self-sufficient and more productive in order to improve their economic status, the World Food Programme in Sierra Leone has linked school feeding with small farmers by buying more of their produce for the school programme.

She assured Ambassador Stevens that the World Food Programme will work towards integrating its activities with Sierra Leone’s agricultural strategies.

Ambassador Stevens’ final presentation was at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and his Letters of Credence as Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was received by the Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf in a short and impressive ceremony.

During his discussion with Dr. Jaques Diouf, Ambassador Stevens conveyed the appreciation of H.E. Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, the government and people of Sierra Leone for the invaluable assistance Sierra Leone has been receiving from the Food and Agriculture Organization over the years. He informed that Sierra Leone now enjoys political stability, improved infrastructural development in the rural areas and better health care delivery services particularly in the area of maternal and child health care, among others. He further informed of President Koroma’s vision of an improved energy situation in the country which will provide the enabling environment for investment in the private sector.

Responding, the Director General Dr. Jacques Diouf warmly welcomed Ambassador Stevens to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Headquarters and recounted some of the unforgettable memories of his stay in Sierra Leone as Director of the West African Rice Development Agency during the administration of the first Executive President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Late Dr. Siaka Probyn Stevens.

Dr. Diouf said that the FAO was impressed with President Koroma’s vision for an infrastructural developed agriculture sector in Sierra Leone and was working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to implement government’s strategies. He further explained to Ambassador Stevens that Sierra Leone has been the recipient of funding from FAO for the implementation of most of her programmes and assured Ambassador Stevens that the FAO will continue to work with and support Sierra Leone in achieving food security.

His Excellency Ambassador Jongopie Siaka Stevens was accompanied to these presentations by the Minister Counsellor and Head of Chancery, Ms. Crispina Wright.