His Excellency Philip Bob Jusu, the ambassador of Sierra Leone to Belgium, met with Thomas Geyns, the mayor of Tervuren, in Brussels to talk about establishing useful connections between the local community and Sierra Leone. The discussion centred on specific areas of collaboration that could be advantageous to both the Belgian municipality and the West African country.
Sierra Leone’s geographic location in West Africa was described by Ambassador Jusu, who pointed out that the nation borders Guinea and Liberia and can give investors access to a larger regional market of almost 30 million people. He emphasised the importance of agriculture to Sierra Leone’s economy, citing crops like coffee and cocoa and highlighting the country’s potential for growth into processing and other value-added production. The Ambassador added that tourism is starting to garner more attention and may offer more chances for cooperation.
This was the first time Mayor Geyns had received an African ambassador since taking office sixteen months prior, he said, welcoming the ambassador and expressing his pleasure at hosting him. The mayor stated that he is very interested in working together in a way that benefits both communities. He emphasised the significance of keeping in touch on a regular basis, pointing out that effective collaborations frequently begin with modest, doable steps. Geyns also expressed an openness to future gatherings and the potential to arrange visits or exchanges to strengthen relationships and investigate particular initiatives.
After talks in Kraainem and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, this visit is Ambassador Jusu’s third meeting with mayors in the Brussels region. After the meeting, both sides expressed optimism about creating programs that could strengthen ties between Tervuren and Sierra Leone on an economic, cultural, and communal level.
