President Weah Dialogues with Development Partners on Variety of Issues
Monrovia, Liberia: The Liberian leader, H.E. George Manneh Weah has again acknowledged and reemphasized the strategic importance of working with development partners in realizing strategic goals set by his Government to advance the country’s social, political and economic programs.
President Weah observed that it would be difficult for Liberia to make substantial leap in national transformation and development without the involvement, intervention and support of national and international partners in key areas.
The President, who extolled partners for the outstanding roles they continue to play in the country’s development drive, said it was in both parties’ interest meeting regularly to discuss issues of mutual concerns and importance.
The Liberian leader made the remarks Wednesday, February 13, 2019 when he and partners from the European Union (EU) dialogued on variety of issues at his Ministry of Foreign Affairs office.
“The reason for sitting with you today is to explore and dissect Liberia’s development issues and reason together,” the Liberian leader told the partners. “We want us to work together as a team because there are a lot of things we want to achieve together.”
He informed the gathering that a lot has been achieved since he and the development partners last met, referencing recent meeting at which time they discussed issues of domestic violence, issuance of Executive Order, good governance, accountability and transparency, among others.
Domestic violence, he continued, is a very serious nightmare confronting society.
“We are seriously working to address the issue,” the President said, describing as unfortunate the continued assault women experience daily in the hands of their male counterparts.
He told the partners in audience progress his government has made in nipping Sexual-Based Violence (SBV) as well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the bud.
The President noted that Government was in talks with traditional leaders towards harmonizing contentious issues that are needed to be resolved in order to make the fight against gender-based violence and FGM comprehensive and broad-based.
The President said his government was doing its outmost best on the issue of transparency and accountability, adding that the government looks forward to partners’ support in achieving this goal.
He also informed them that his government remains committed to fighting corruption, assuring that he would act on the findings and recommendations from the alleged missing 16 billion dollars investigation, noting, “Anyone found guilty will bear the full weight of the law.”
President Weah told the gathering that the government is working to improve the private sector which he described as “engine of growth.”
In response, the head of the EU Delegation, Madam Helene CAVE expressed condolences to the government and people of Liberia for recent loss of lives, particularly the Nimba Mining incident.
The partners who thanked the government for the progress made on many fronts, promised to stay in the country and remain engaged with the government.
Madam CAVE informed the President that the peace and stability of the country was of paramount concern to them.
She said, as partners, they were also concerned and focused on the state of the economy, good governance, education, roads, land rights and many other issues.
