Pres. Weah’s France Trip Yields Tangibles As Macron Commits to Impact Lives of Liberians

MONROVIA – When President George Weah and his entourage left the country for Paris, France on Sunday, there were chatters here in Monrovia that he had no business being in Paris when the Generation Equality Forum was being held virtually. Little did the public know of the in-person arrangements for heads of state at the event.

President Weah made presentations and commitments at the forum which was also attended by several world leaders in person, including President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, former U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, Germany’s Chancellor, Angela, Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris (virtual), Alberto Fernandez, President of Argentina, Melinda Gates, among several other world leaders.

The Generation Equality Forum is a major global inflection point for gender equality. It is a landmark effort intended at bringing together governments, corporations and change makers from around the world to define and announce ambitious investments and policies. The result will be a permanent acceleration in equality, leadership and opportunity for women and girls worldwide.

While President Weah’s trip to the Forum was highly criticized and deemed to be insensitive amid the spike in new covid-19 cases, it appears to be bringing more to Liberia than anticipated by the public.

Fruits of the trip

President Weah and his delegation seized the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elyseè Palace, where the Liberian President was welcomed affectionately.

At the Elyseè Palace, President Macron assured President Weah of his unflinching support towards the Liberian government’s efforts to improving the lives of its people.

During the hour-long meeting, Macron said his country’s support to Liberia will be tangible so that it is felt by the citizens directly.

Macron said in addition to his country’s efforts at capacity building and youth development, additional urban projects will be undertaken by the Agency for French Development totaling an initial amount of 23 million Euros.

He assured President Weah that this assistance would be immediate.

President Macron also informed President Weah that his country will make an immediate donation of some 40,000 test kits and several respirators. He said France will increase its quota to the COVAX structure, while ensuring that “Liberia directly benefits and have its population vaccinated”.

He highlighted the strong historical ties between both nations, saying that both leaders ought to work harder in order to ensure the relationship yield tangible mutual benefits.

The talks covered a wide range of issues, including French support to the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in order to enhance its ability to perform its service in Mali. The French President also promised more logistical support and training for the AFL and further cooperation in the area of information exchange.

The discussions also covered the issue of Piracy in the Gulf Guinea and the need for both nations to cooperate in order to halt the menace. The French government promised more equipment and training for the Liberian Coast Guards. The French Navy will study the option of having its Frigates participate in the fight against piracy in order to ensure that vital maritime commerce is carried out unhindered.

Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Kemayah, Defense Minister Daniel Ziankahn and Maritime Commissioner Lenn Eugene Nagbe formed part of the discussions which were followed by a closed-door tête-à-tête between the two leaders.

For his part, President Weah expressed profound gratitude to the government and people of France for the country’s continued support to Liberia’s development drive, especially in the areas of capacity building, infrastructure development and sports.

President Weah also expressed appreciation for President Macron’s “gracious support” towards Liberia’s engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which he said has greatly contributed to the improved fiscal and monetary policy implementation and efficiency the country now experiences.

He informed his French counterpart that his administration continues to work in close collaboration with these international financial institutions, “which sometimes require the formulation of difficult policies, such as the Salary Harmonization Policy”. But he said the policies have been required to make the “necessary corrective measures and structural adjustments” for the good of the Liberian economy.

President Weah called for the continuation of the Franco-Liberia relationship, including the strengthening of collaboration between the French Military and the Armed Forces of Liberia on the Malian peacekeeping mission. “In this regard”, he said, “it is important to note that the Liberian contingent has now been tasked with providing Base Security for the Timbuktu outpost and, as such, more modern equipment and logistics are urgently needed.”

The Liberian Leader enumerated the many other support the French government has rendered to Liberia in recent months, including funding for capacity development, sports, the resumption of flight by Air France, the construction of a new building for Alliance Francaise Institute, and the increase in activities by French businesses and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs).

Regarding ongoing efforts by the Liberian government to curb further spread of COVID, President Weah thanked President Macron and the Government and People of France for “generously providing” a number of ventilators and several thousands of testing kits.  He told his counterpart that Liberia would need millions of additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines to help fight the spread of the virus.

Since his ascendancy to the Presidency, President Weah has been solidifying Liberia-France ties. As a matter of fact, France was the first Western country Weah visited after being inaugurated into office.

 A fortnight ago, Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah received the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who became the first high profile French government official to pay an official visit to Liberia.