Liberia, Ethiopia: Africa’s Oldest Republic and Oldest Country Sign Cooperation Agreement.

President Sirleaf and Her Ethiopian counterpart Hailemariam Desalegn.
Photo Credit: EXECUTIVE MANSION

Kigali, Rwanda: Liberia, Africa’s oldest independent republic and Ethiopia, Africa’s oldest country have signed an agreement to cooperate in the execution of projects and programs in various areas including trade, industry, agriculture and fisheries, energy and infrastructure.

According to a dispatch from Kigali, the agreement which was signed in Kigali today July 17, 2016 on the sidelines of the 27th Session of the General Assembly of the African Union, also called for cooperation in the education, education, health, telecommunication and information communication technology and manufacturing.

The agreement was signed in the presence of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailermariam Desalegn by Liberia’s Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara and her counterpart Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The two foreign ministers committed to setting up a joint cooperation committee to identify specific projects for implementation under the agreement and to meet regularly to ensure effective implementation.

In separate statements, both ministers described the agreement as ‘historic’ and possessing the potential of being mutually beneficial to the peoples of the two nations.

Speaking following the signing, President Sirleaf recounted the long-standing bonds subsisting between the two countries, recounting how Liberia and Ethiopia were pivotal in leading the struggles for an independent Africa. The Liberian Leader said both countries must ensure that their historic relationship is translated into tangible outcomes, adding “the agreement signed here today by our two countries presents a unique opportunity for us to transform our partnership into actionable programs to benefit our peoples”. She said both parties must work hard to ensure that there is urgent implementation.

The Ethiopian Premier assured President Sirleaf of his country’s full commitment in the implementation of the accord. He said as Africa’s two luminaries, Liberia and Ethiopia must lead intra-continental cooperation.

Prime Minister Hailermariam Desalegn then invited President Sirleaf for a state visit to Ethiopia. Read more here