Head of Sierra Leone’s Permanent Mission to the UN, has called on His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio at State House to bid farewell as he takes up his new office in New York, United States.
(L-R) Dr. Francis Kaikai and President Julius Maada Bio at State House
Ambassador Dr. Francis Kaikai thanked the President for the confidence reposed in
him to represent the country at the United Nations, adding that his appointment was
coming at a crucial time when the New Direction was demanding that everyone does
their best in moving the country forward.
Dr Kaikai recently served as chief adviser and head of the peace consolidation
services section of the UN Mission in Liberia.
He said he had followed the New Direction agenda keenly and believed in what it
stands for while assuring the President that he would do his best to represent the
government and people of Sierra Leone at the UN.
“United Nations is the global hub for multilateral diplomacy. I am fully aware of the
challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead and how to exploit them in the
interest of this country. In the New Direction, most of what you have outlined is very
consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and we will try to
pursue that and make sure our narrative is in line with what is in the New Direction,”
he said.
The new Ambassador, who is also plenipotentiary to Cuba and Mexico, mentioned
that the two countries were also very important members of the international
community and pledged to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deepen Sierra
Leone’s ties with those countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Dr Alie Kabba, thanked
President Bio for appointing Ambassador Dr Kaikai, whom he believed would
represent the country well at the UN, a critical place to the country’s global
diplomatic work. He said his ministry was excited to be working with someone of his
calibre and therefore urged him to use his office to increase the country’s global
footprint.
On his part, President Bio congratulated Ambassador Dr Kaikai on his new role. He
said the task ahead was a very challenging one thus the reason he had decided to
specifically choose him was because of his competence and wealth of experience.
He added: “Because of the multilateral nature of the United Nations job, I decided
that you should be the best person to serve us at the New York station. We also
want to deepen our relationship with Mexico and Cuba and we think you can play a
critical role in that direction. We have some repairs to do to our reputation as a
nation because quite a lot has been done over the years to damage our reputation
but I have no iota of doubt that you will do a lot to bring us back to a respectable
stance. Rest assured of our fullest support back home”.
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