By Amin Kef Sesay
The Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Rakesh Kumar Arora, on the 28th January 2022 called on His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio to bid farewell after the end of his tour of duty in the country, praising the many steps the Government has taken to develop the country.
Rakesh Kumar Arora, a career diplomat who belongs to the Indian Foreign Service, assumed charge as the first Resident High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone on 28 August 2020.
During a short statement, he thanked the President for his exemplary leadership in transforming a country that returned from a devastating rebel war, Ebola, mudslide, and grappling with the corona virus disease that continues to ravage people and economies of the world. He added that those steps signaled prospects for the country.
“Your Excellency, I am very happy to have worked in Sierra Leone. I wish the country all the best in the years ahead,” he concluded.
In his response, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio thanked the outgoing Indian High Commissioner for his service to the country, saying that Sierra Leone and India had a long-standing bilateral relationship.
He noted that High Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Arora was opportune to establish and be the first resident High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone.
He further stated that there were quite a lot the country had benefited from the bilateral relationship, and that the two countries would continue to deepen and widen the scope of their relationship.
“I am happy that you are going with fond memories of this country. We will always remember you. Thank you for your service. I wish you well in your future endeavor,” he concluded.
