The delegation which arrived yesterday Sunday, 5th July will be visiting other MRU Ebola-hit countries like Liberia and Guinea during the visit. Sierra Leone has however been chosen to be the hub centre where the team will be stationed.
“This is the first economic mission to these countries since Ebola hit. Over 30 companies and several NGOs are participating in this mission. This underlines the Netherlands’ commitment to the Ebola affected countries, both morally and economically”, stated Madam Ploumen.
The Netherlands Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister further observed that, though parts of the region have been declared Ebola-Free, the fight is not yet over. “The EVD itself must be eliminated.”
She furthered that in order to restore the “impressive economic growth experienced before the Ebola outbreak, communities and their economic structures need to be rebuilt”.
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium who is also accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Hon Ibrahim Sorie has already arrived in Freetown to prepare the ground for the arrival of the trade mission.
Since the Ebola outbreak, the Dutch Navy Support Ship HMLMS Karel Doorman was deployed for three months within the waters of the three affected States in the international fight against Ebola supplying food and providing much needed logistics.
