Liberia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Ethel Davis, says Liberia remains eternally grateful to Nigeria for standing by the country during its darkest moments, stressing that such a gesture was unforgettable.
She stated this during a meeting with her Nigerian counterpart, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday in Abuja.
“Nigeria is a country that Liberia will never forget.
“Why? Because this country was there for us through our darkest period in history.
“So, it is something that we will never forget,” she emphasised.”
Davis disclosed that if you woke up any Liberian citizen from sleep and asked them who their best friend was, the first thing that would come to mind would be Nigeria.
She expressed appreciation to the federal government, as well as the people of Nigeria, for the unwavering support of Liberia over the years.
According to her, for these reasons, Liberia is ready to explore other ways to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in the spirit of brotherhood.
She explained that the meeting between the two ministers basically focused on how to deepen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“So, we are here to further deepen the relationship that exists between our two countries,” she added.
Responding, Enikanolaiye said that Nigeria and Liberia had come a long way since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them, noting that the relationship was historically rich.
He said that Nigeria’s level of engagement in Liberia in terms of assisting to restore peace, security and stability to the country was a reflection of the deep relationship between them.
According to him, the relationship between the two countries has blossomed from government-to-government to that of a person-to-person relationship.
“This visit is intended to actually consult a lot more on our bilateral relations and ensure that there are no irritants and to also fully explore opportunities for closer bilateral relations.
“I welcome, particularly, the proposed investment summit by Liberia scheduled to be held in August in Lagos.
“We have been invited and we are partnering Liberia, particularly the private sector of both countries, which will then deepen commercial, trade, and economic relations between our two countries,” he said.
Enikanolaiye added that this would further elevate Nigeria-Liberia diplomatic relations and advance the welfare, prosperity, peace, and security of people within the two countries. (NAN)
