United States President Donald J. Trump says he is committed to working with the Government of Liberia to “advance our common agenda and deepen the strong and abiding friendship between our two countries”.
The American President statement was made after H.E. George Patten, Liberia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States presented his letters of credence. The ceremony took place in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 11, 2019.
President Trump accepted the letter of accreditation from President Weah “with great pleasure” and extolled the special relationship that exists between Liberia and the United States of America, which he says is “stronger now than ever”. The American leader recalled that the “special bond” dates as far back as the foundation of the Republic of Liberia. “Since the end of the Liberian Civil war in 2003”, he said, “the country has improved security for its people and taken a difficult task of rebuilding its economy “.
Ambassador Patten, a seasoned Liberian diplomat, was recently commissioned by President George Weah to represent the country in Washington, DC. He previously served in various diplomatic missions, including Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, the African Union and Charge D’Affaires, A.I at the United Nations.
President Trump has also applauded the people of Liberia for the successful Presidential elections of 2017. This, he said, led to the first peaceful transition of power from one democratically elected leader to another. “The transition is a milestone for Africa’s oldest republic and a testament to the confidence the peope of Liberia have in the country’s institutions”, he said. The U.S. President emphasized that because his country is Liberia’s “steadfast and longtime ally”, the American people remain committed to the peaceful and democratic future of Liberia.
The U.S.-Liberia relationship dates as far back as the 1800s, when free American slaves first settled in the oldest independent nation on the continent and formed a government modeled after the U.S. This gave rise to the longstanding special relationship that subsists between both countries. The American government has been a vital development partner to Liberia – from the contributing substantially to its overseas development assistance, to helping resolve the fourteen year crisis that engulfed Liberia In his statement, the U.S. President recalled his country’s role during the Ebola crisis that plagued Liberia in 2014, citing the United States’ assistance which helped overcome the epidemic.
Speaking during the presentation, Ambassador Patten conveyed President Weah’s assurance to the Liberian people and the international community of his commitment to democratic governance, human rights and the alleviation of poverty. “With this commitment, he has already begun taking measures to ensure the improvement of the living condition of the people”, Ambassador Patten said. The Liberian Ambassador also used the occasion to inform President Trump of President Weah’s decision to cultivate even deeper partnership and cooperation with the United States with emphasis on international policy issues, trade and investment, the release signed Minister Eugene Lenn Nagbe concluded
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