Africa-Press – Liberia. The Government of Liberia and the European Union held the eleventh (11th) edition of the EU-Liberia Partnership Dialogue, formerly known as the Political Dialogue, in Monrovia on Thursday.
This exchange took place in the context of the 50th Anniversary of EU-Liberia relations. In 1973, the Commission of the European Economic Community established its first office in Liberia, which has since been upgraded to a full diplomatic mission, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Liberia.
The EU underlined that Team Europe (EU + Member States) remains committed to supporting the implementation of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) as trustworthy and durable partners, delivering to the people of Liberia.
The Dialogue was held on June 22, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex and co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr., and the Head of the EU Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse.
For about five hours, both parties addressed a number of issues of mutual interest, including the call for free, fair, transparent, inclusive, credible, and peaceful elections, which could stand out as a positive example in the region; EU-Liberia bilateral cooperation focused on the 191 million euros given to government for the first phase of the EU support program from 2021 to 2024; and human rights, recognizing the Government’s commitment to comply with its international Human Rights obligations and the actions undertaken in this regard.
Both sides also had an exchange on their strong and active foreign policy cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Liberia built on shared values, and their joint efforts multilaterally and regionally to promote peace; human rights, the values of liberal democracy and respect for international rule of law, an enabling business and investment climate focusing on the improvements in the regulatory environment, transparency, and governance to facilitate the establishment of more private companies and the creation of more Liberian jobs, as well as recognition of Liberian official passports and the issue of Schengen visas within Liberia.
The EU further presented expected progress in the delivery of Schengen Visas in Monrovia by the French Embassy in Abidjan, among others.
Members of the Liberian delegation included the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah; the Minister of Justice, Frank Musah Dean, Jr.; the Acting Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hassan A. Karneh; the Commissioner of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Boakai A. Dukuly participated in the dialogue.
Other members of the Liberian delegation include Deputy Commerce Minister for Administration, Wilfred Bangura, Chairman of the Independent National Commission for Human Rights, Cllr. Dempster Brown, and the Chairman of the Governance Commission, Garrison Yealue.
Also, EU Member States were represented by the Ambassador of France Michaël Roux; Ambassador of Sweden Urban Sjöström, Ambassador of Germany Jakob Haselhuber, and the Chargé d’affaires of Ireland Simon McCormac.
In his welcome remark earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., thanked the EU for its long-standing commitment and support to Liberia. He stressed the importance of the Partnership Dialogue as a platform to regularly address issues of common interest and concern and also to examine and take stock of the progress made on those issues.
He said, “Our presence here today highlights the significance attached by our respective Governments, and in the collective, the European Union and the Republic of Liberia, to enhancing the harmonious bilateral and multilateral relationship already subsisting between us, even before the first conception of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Framework Agreement in 1975, commonly known as The Lomé Convention.”
Kemayah noted that the dialogue encouraged stakeholders to work together towards a common goal, considering the interests of all parties involved and fostering trust, transparency, and mutual respect, which are essential for building strong partnerships and achieving meaningful outcomes.
He averred that this year, 2023, is particularly significant because it marks half a century—50 years since the opening of the First Cooperation Office of the European Commission in Liberia in 1973, which is the 50th Anniversary of the EU’s Office in Liberia, and even two years before the Lomé Convention.
Kemayah used the occasion on behalf of the Government of Liberia to congratulate the Offices of the European Union in Liberia and looks forward to further strengthening their already strengthened relations with the European Union.
For his part, the Head of the EU Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse emphasized EU commitment to supporting Liberia.
He said the EU, through the Chargé d’Affaires of Ireland, will express its confidence that the elections can and will be organized to be peaceful, free, fair, transparent, inclusive and credible.
According to him, the EU will call on all stakeholders to respect one another, to campaign in peace and to respect the results of the elections.
“We are confident that the people of Liberia will choose freely their leaders,” Delahousse said, “We hope that those leaders will put the interests of the people before their own and enforce the basic principle of democracy, which is that politics is the most noble occupation when its first goal is to help and serve the people, not to help and serve oneself first.”
He disclosed that EU and its Member States stand ready to support the future development strategy of the Government of Liberia that will result from the elections, just as we have been fervent supporters of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.
Delahousse said, “This partnership is based on genuine needs and mutual respect, but also on transparency, predictability, proper accountability and governance by all institutions concerned in view of increasing the effectiveness of EU support. The EU and its Member States have stood and will continue to stand by the people of Liberia.”
At the end of the dialogue, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continuing to hold regular Political Dialogue meetings and following-up on their conclusions. They agreed that the next (12th) EU-Liberia Partnership Dialogue would take place in the first half of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Theme of this year’s dialogue, “Partnership for Tangible Results”, provides the opportunity for the Government of Liberia and the European Union to discuss progress and challenges.
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