The Uganda High Commissioner, H.E Nelson Ocheger who is resident in Abuja, Nigeria, with concurrent accreditation to the Republics of Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and other ECOWAS Member States has today 3rd April 2023 paid courtesy call on Sierra Leone's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Professor David Francis to deepen bilateral ties between their two Countries. H.E Ocheger in his presentation thanked His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio for the leadership demonstrated on the Committee of Ten Heads of States and Government (C-10). But also, for making Africa's common position a focal point of discussion on the reform of the United Nations Security Council. He commended Professor Francis for his role in rebranding Sierra Leone on the global stage. The Foreign Minister said both Sierra Leone and Uganda share common values on post war peace building and state reconstruction. He said during President Bio's visit to Uganda in 2019, he agreed with his counterpart H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the need for a visa waiver for holders of Service and Diplomatic passports and the signing of a Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries. This, he said, will be presented to Cabinet and Parliament of Sierra Leone in June, before the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections. Professor Francis emphasized on the need for the promotion of trade and investment between Sierra Leone and Uganda. In this regard, he requested the High Commissioner to organize a delegation to Freetown in the immediate future. This is the first trip that Amb. Nelson Ocheger has undertaken to Sierra Leone since the outbreak of COVID-19, but he assured his host of the importance that Uganda attaches to the bilateral relations between the two countries. Source: Uganda High Commission, Abuja.