By By The People News Online
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has held high-level bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, focusing on deepening Liberia–France cooperation and advancing Liberia’s growing international influence.
The meeting, which took place at the Élysée Palace, centered on a wide range of issues, including Liberia’s development priorities, bilateral cooperation, and its recent win to serve on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member.
According to the Executive Mansion, both leaders expressed mutual commitment to strengthening the longstanding friendship between Liberia and France through practical partnerships and renewed diplomatic engagement.
President Boakai highlighted Liberia’s unique legacy as Africa’s oldest republic and one of the four founding African signatories to the United Nations Charter. Despite that, he noted, Liberia remains the only one among them never to have served a full term on the Security Council—making its current tenure “both symbolic and strategic.”
President Boakai used the occasion to rally French support for Liberia’s nomination as Chair or Co-Chair of four UN sanctions committees once discussions reach the P5 level of the Security Council.
“This is a defining moment for Liberia,” he said, emphasizing the need for equitable representation and leadership roles for African nations within the UN system.
Beyond diplomacy, the Liberian Leader outlined his government’s renewed focus on inclusive national development, with particular attention to women’s empowerment, disability inclusion, and youth employment.
President Macron, in response, reaffirmed France’s readiness to work with Liberia in areas such as education, agriculture, renewable energy, and institutional capacity building.
Both Presidents agreed that the discussions should move swiftly from dialogue to delivery. They committed to establishing technical cooperation frameworks and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that agreed initiatives yield tangible results for both nations.
The Executive Mansion said the two sides also reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, climate resilience, and governance reform, identifying them as critical pillars for sustainable growth.
In a symbolic gesture to deepen ties, President Boakai extended an invitation to President Macron to undertake a state visit to Liberia.
According to the release, President Macron warmly accepted the invitation, and both leaders instructed their respective Foreign Ministries to finalize timelines and modalities for the visit in the coming months.
President Boakai concluded the meeting by expressing profound appreciation to the people and government of France for their longstanding friendship and partnership toward Liberia’s development journey.
He lauded President Macron’s leadership in strengthening Africa–Europe relations and underscored Liberia’s readiness to remain a constructive and reliable partner in the international community.
The high-level engagement marks a new chapter in Liberia–France relations, blending history, diplomacy, and development in a shared vision for global cooperation and mutual progress.
