President Umaru Yar’Adua on Thursday expressed anticipation of the repatriation of more money looted by Nigerian leaders and stashed in banks in Switzerland.
He made the point at the Villa in Abuja when he received the letters of credence of the new Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Andreas Baum.
Yar’Adua disclosed that both countries are still working on the recovery of stolen funds and commended the Swiss Government for its co-operation on the repatriation of the first tranche.
He also applauded Switzerland’s promotion of universal human rights, and called for the enhancement of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Switzerland.
Baum noted that his country co-operated with Nigeria to return such funds in order to send a clear message that Switzerland "is no longer a refuge for stolen wealth."
He described Nigeria as a very active "multilateral actor," especially in the area of global peacekeeping, and praised Yar’Adua’s commitment to the promotion of good governance through the rule of law.
Also on Thursday, Yar’Adua noted that a direct air link between Nigeria and Jamaica would improve trade and cultural ties between the two countries, and elsewhere in the Caribbean.
He assured the new Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Robert Miller, who also presented his letters of credence, that Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and a Joint Commission between Nigeria and Jamaica would be given urgent attention.
Miller, on a second tour of duty in Nigeria, described the country as the "richest in potential in Africa with a great future."
He thanked Nigeria for sending nurses to Jamaica under the Technical Aids Corps (TAC) programme, and sought bilateral ties beyond oil.