Monrovia – The newly appointed British ambassador to Liberia, Mr. Neil Bradley, has re-emphasized his Government’s unflinching support towards Liberia’s economic growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ambassador Bradley said this is being done through the implementation of his Government’s many projects aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Liberians and strengthening economic relation to attract investors in Liberia.
He made the statements when he paid a courtesy visit to the offices of one of Liberia’s leading daily newspaper, FrontPage Africa (FPA) in Monrovia.
“We will focus on strengthening the UK-Liberia relation and we can do that in many different ways,” he said in a brief chat with staff of FPA.
According to him, his government has been undertaking series of programs through many international agencies and special arrangements that are all geared towards improving the lives of ordinary Liberians. Most of these programs, he said are undertaken through health, roads and education, among others.
Speaking further, he said Liberia has huge potential for clean energy and its rainforest, the largest in West Africa, is a sink for carbon, which is pivotal in the fight against climate change.
Ambassador Bradley, with over 20 years of diplomatic service, was appointed as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Liberia in June 2020, replacing Ambassador David Belgrove, OBE, who has been reassigned to the Gambia.
Since presenting his letters of credence to President George Weah in August, Ambassador Bradley has been visiting several key institutions, both public and private, for acquaintances and to get firsthand experience.
His appointment comes as the world is grappling with COVID-19, with the United Kingdom, being one of the worst affected countries. It also comes amid the UK exit from the European Union.
Despite the pandemic and the divorce from the EU, Ambassador Bradley stated the UK will continue to live up to its international obligations as it has always done in the past.
“The UK is third largest countries in terms of support to the UN. We will continue to support Liberia and undertake our programs,” he assured.
According to him, the UK is the largest shareholder of the World Bank and it contributes 1.7 percent of its GNP for development services. In addition, he mentioned the British Government is contributing US$650million to least developed countries to have access to COVID-19 vaccines, and has pledged US$2 billion to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, to vaccinate children against deadly infectious diseases, strengthen health systems and save lives, including Liberia.
He thanked FrontPageAfrica Managing Editor Rodney Sieh and staff for the tremendous work in the midst of several challenges.
Liberia and Great Britain can boast of a historic friendship since 1848 when the UK was the first country to recognize Liberia as an independent sovereign state.
Following the end of Liberia’s 14-year civil war, the UK has been a closed partner of Liberia, supporting several development initiatives. Ambassador Bradley echoed these sentiments during the presentation of his letters of credence in August.
“Today, the UK is proud to support the Government of Liberia’s pro-poor agenda. We commend your efforts to deliver inclusive development, helping to build a more stable, equitable and prosperous society,” he said.
Each year, he added that the UK government provides a multi-million-dollar contribution to development projects in Liberia through a mix of bilateral and centrally managed program and through financial contributions to its international partners in Liberia, including the UN, World Bank, Global Fund, GAVI, and the World Health Organization.
“In this way, we support your top development priorities,” he said.
Liberia’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, he noted, is being supported to promote social cohesion, through its contribution to the Liberia Social Safety Net Program, which provides cash transfers for the most vulnerable households.
In addition, the UK is partnering with the Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund to build a better road network to increase access to basic services and open-up markets to improve livelihoods.
“Our support for improved health and education outcomes includes funding the Global Partnership for Education, the Power of Nutrition program, and the ASCEND program on neglected tropical diseases. And we are working closely with Government to enable a more diversified economy, through sustainable forestry management and growth of the agricultural sector.”