(MONROVIA, LIBERIA – April 25, 2011): President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure held bilateral discussions in Monrovia on April 25, 2011, with an agreement to re-activate the Liberia-Mali Joint Commission, established during the administration of the late President William V.S. Tubman more than forty years ago.
The Liberia-Mali Joint Commission was established in 1960 during the administration of President William V.S. Tubman but has been dormant despite attempts by previous administrations to re-establish it.
An Executive Mansion release said that when re-activated, the Commission will focus primarily on promoting trade and cooperation between the two countries.
The Liberian and Malian leaders agreed to collaborate in areas of fisheries, wood and meat, including other commodities in their respective countries. With support from India, Mali is equipped with an assembly plant to produce tractors. The two Presidents agreed to provide a market in the region for the products through private partnership.
The Malian leader, who arrived in Liberia Monday to a rousing welcome, was met upon arrival at the Roberts International Airport by the Liberian leader and other senior officials. Following official airport ceremonies, the Malian leader and President Johnson Sirleaf made a stop-over at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, where the two leaders participated in programs marking World Malaria Day.
In a related development, ministers from Liberia and Mali have been holding bilateral talks at the Foreign Ministry, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
President Johnson Sirleaf has, at a dinner in honor of President Toure, conferred on the visiting Malian President Liberia’s highest distinction – the Order of the Star of Africa. At the ceremony held Monday at the Monrovia City Hall, the President lauded the Malian leader for his efforts to improve the wellbeing of his people through sustainable economic development. She also lauded him for introducing reforms that have positively impacted the lives of Malians.
The ceremony also included the gowning of the Malian President by traditional leaders under the auspices of the Traditional Council of Chiefs and elders as well as a cultural performance.
The Malian leader expressed gratitude to the Liberian President and people for the honor bestowed upon him. He recalled the long-standing ties between Mali and Liberia and promised to work towards solidifying the bond between the two countries through trade, commerce and investment in areas mutually beneficial to the two countries.
The Malian leader concludes his two-day visit to Liberia on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 with a breakfast meeting with Ambassadors representing permanent member countries of the United Nations Security Council. The Malian leader will also visit the Liberian-Japanese Friendship Maternity Hospital and the Lolognta Little Children’s Hut in Fiamah, Sinkor.
Other events on the Malian leader’s itinerary include a meeting with the Malian community in Liberia and a press stake-out with the Liberian President at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event will precede the signing of a Joint Communiqué between the two countries.
The Malian leader and delegation depart Liberia Tuesday afternoon for Bamako.
Signed: ___________________________
Cyrus Wleh Badio
Press Secretary to the President
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