-France Pact Signed, UAE Team to Visit Liberia
MONROVIA, Liberia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. returned to Liberia early Friday, November 7, and said his state visit to France and working engagements in the United Arab Emirates produced “reassuring” results that “were even beyond what we had expected.”
Speaking to reporters at Roberts International Airport, Boakai said discussions in Paris and Dubai focused on tightening partnerships, unlocking investment, and accelerating stalled projects. “The discussions were very, very good,” he said.
France: Cooperation Pact, Project Restart, Security Dialogue
- Élysée working lunch: Boakai held a working lunch with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
- General Cooperation Agreement: Liberia and France signed a General Cooperation Agreement in Paris, with Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti and French Minister‑Delegate Éléonore Caroit formalizing expanded collaboration. The accord covers education, agriculture, health, water and sanitation, renewable energy and climate, forestry/biodiversity, youth and sports.
- Development finance and projects: At France’s request, the French Development Agency (AFD) briefed the Liberian side on ongoing and proposed projects; both governments agreed to reactivate key infrastructure and agriculture initiatives that had stalled in recent years.
- Peace and security: The visit broadened a Dec. 8 French mission to Monrovia—initially focused on training Liberia’s UN Security Council team—into a wider peace and security dialogue, including border management and security cooperation.
- State visit invitation: Boakai invited Macron to visit Liberia; the President said Macron “warmly accepted.”
- Diaspora engagement: The President met Liberians in France and heard calls for on‑site passport services and the resumption of Air France flights. Asked about airline service, Boakai said: “We don’t own Air France, so we have to discuss with the authorities… we just receive it in good faith.”
Business Roundtable in Paris
Boakai also met French employers and company executives at a business roundtable. According to the Executive Mansion’s earlier statements during the trip, multiple firms expressed interest in opportunities in Liberia. Pressed on follow‑up, Boakai said: “We’ve done our work. We’re supposed to do it on the ground, and we promise to do that.”
UAE: Investment Talks And Prospective Mission To Monrovia
In the United Arab Emirates—where he held meetings in Dubai and the capital—Boakai said talks centered on investment and potential commercial links. “As much talked about, the Emirates coming to Liberia, but also more important to that is investment,” he told reporters, adding: “They’re going to send a team here to work with us. I think that’s even more of something that we look forward to… the chances are great.” He said the visit followed an invitation conveyed “through a channel that we appreciate and that was more productive.”
What’s Next
- Follow‑through teams: The Executive Mansion has signaled it will designate interagency teams to follow up with French and UAE counterparts on financing, project reactivation, and technical cooperation.
- Dec. 8 mission: French officials are due in Monrovia on Dec. 8 for training and a broadened peace and security dialogue.
- External engagement: With Liberia set to take its UN Security Council seat in January 2026, officials say the Paris deliverables and security cooperation are designed to support wider diplomatic goals while tying external partnerships to domestic delivery.
Boakai framed the twin‑leg visit as part of a shift to practical outcomes. On airline questions and corporate interest alike, he cautioned against overpromising but said the government would “do the work on the ground” to convert pledges into projects.
