The Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, last Friday, received in audience Mr Luis Amado, the Portuguese Foreign Affairs minister, at State House.

The Portuguese diplomat, who is on a regional tour of Africa, was at State House to discuss with President Jammeh the political situation in Guinea Bissau, a country President Jammeh has been playing a key in its peace building effort.

Speaking to reporters shortly after his audience with the Gambian leader, Mr Amado who is currently serving as the president of the community of Portuguese speaking countries, spoke about their responsibility to follow up the situation in the former Portuguese colony of Guinea Bissau.

"For more than ten years, we have been following up the political situation in Bissau; from the very beginning the crisis started, in 1998. I have always given a lot of attention to the influence of The Gambian authorities in the situation in Bissau. So I had the opportunity to exchange views with President Jammeh on the situation in the region, Bissau in particular,’’ the Portuguese diplomat stated.

Amado told reporters further that the European Union is playing an important role in ensuring stability of not only Guinea Bissau, but also other regional countries, in a bid to avoid “spill over and civil confrontations.”

Acknowledging President Jammeh’s role in the peace process in Guinea Bissau, the Portuguese Foreign Affairs minister noted that it is important to understand the points, the views and ideas of the president, maintaining that President Jammeh has a deep knowledge of the situation on the ground.

"He knows the country, the main actors in the political front, so it is very important for us to corporate with him on how to contribute together to create stability and lasting peace for the socio-economic development in Guinea Bissau," the Portuguese diplomat concluded.