Monrovia, Liberia – Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim Nyei has identified important areas of strategic relevance for development cooperation between Liberia and Indonesia.
Speaking Tuesday September 3, 2024, Minister Nyei cited trade, health, agriculture, and energy as important areas of development cooperation that the Liberian government intends to pursue, during a session at the 2024 Indonesia – Africa Forum II.
Under cooperation with the Indonesian government and private investors, Minister Nyei said the Liberian government will look at possibilities leading to industrialization particularly in the agriculture sector.
He recalled the long-standing, historic bilateral relations between Liberia and Indonesia, especially the significant role the two countries performed in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which every UN member approved in 2015.
As Liberia gets ready to run for UN Security Council, Minister Neyi seized the chance to approach Indonesia for assistance.
“We know that Indonesia has a strong voice at the UN, Liberia looks forward to the support of the Indonesian government to buttress advocacy for greater representation of smaller countries on the UN Security council.”
As Liberia and Indonesia also cooperate on world political concerns, the Deputy Foreign Minister claimed that trade and economic ties between the two countries will be reinforced.
The Minister furthermore underlined the absence of diplomatic presence on both sides as a component likely to impede the efficient execution of the development agreement between Liberia and Indonesia.
Among other top officials and stakeholders, Minister Nyei shared the platform with Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Indonesia and Temor-Leste, East Asia and Pacific, Hon. Suharso Monoarfa, Minister of National Development Planning of Indonesia, and Mr. Andre Aguer Arlig, Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive and political sectors.
Minister Nyei also visited Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, H.E. Siti Nugrahu, on the margins of the Indonesian-Africa Forum.
Minister Nyei developed the case for Indonesia to support Liberian created goods by exporting them to Indonesia during his meeting with Madam Nugrahu.
For her part, Madam Nugrahu reaffirmed Indonesia’s will to deepen bilateral trade and investment between Liberia and Indonesia; particularly in terms of economy.