VISIT TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS - MARTIN

The British High Commissioner to Lesotho, Mr. Frank Martin says the visit of the head of the Lesotho desk at the Commonwealth and Foreign office this week will strengthen the already existing relations between Lesotho and the office. Mr. Martin said Ms Gail Sidnell's visit was intended to establish closer contacts with the government and the people of Lesotho..

Speaking in an interview, Ms Sidnell said she came to familiarise herself with the situation in Lesotho and South Africa, especially because other countries that she is responsible for, have recently received the same visits by other officials from the same office. Ms Sidnell said she would like to learn as much as possible about the political and economic situation in Lesotho so that they could advise Ministers, adding that she would meet a varied section of the society to get their views.

She is in Lesotho on a two-day official visit, where she will meet among others, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, the Minister of Finance, heads of diplomatic mission in Lesotho and the staff of the British High Commission responsible for implementation of policies in the country. Ms Sidnell was appointed the head of the section in the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London, dealing with Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia in June and her main role is to advise the British Ministers on the political and economic situations of these countries, hence her visit.

07 October,2002