About Us Joint Statement issued on the Visit of President of Liberia to India September 11, 2013


1.     Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, paid a State Visit to India from September 9-13, 2013. The President was accompanied by a high level Ministerial and official delegation. The Ministerial delegation included Honorable Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Honorable Dr. Florence Chenoweth, Minister of Agriculture; Honorable Axel Addy, Minister of Commerce & Industry; Honorable Patrick Sendolo, Minister of Lands, Mines & Energy; Honorable Julia Duncan Cassell, Minister of Gender & Development.

2.     The President of Liberia was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan in the capital New Delhi on 11 August 2013. The President laid a wreath at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and paid homage to the Father of the Nation. During the visit, President Sirleaf met with the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, who hosted a banquet in her honor. She held talks with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The President of Liberia also received Speaker, Lok Sabha and the External Affairs Minister.

3.     President Sirleaf met leaders of Indian business and industry in New Delhi and extended invitation to them to participate and invest in Liberia's private sector development. She noted that the Indian Community in Liberia was the second largest expatriate community in the country and that a number of Indian businesses have found a springboard in Liberia from which they have spread throughout the West Africa Sub-region and elsewhere.

4.     The President of Liberia and the Prime Minister of India held delegation level discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues. These discussions were held in a warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere. They welcomed the development of friendship and cooperation between India and Liberia.

5.     Both sides noted that there still remained considerable potential for cooperation and agreed to enhance the partnership between the two countries in all areas of mutual interest.

6.     The two leaders agreed to further deepen the partnership by adding more concrete programmes and projects and broadening it to new areas of cooperation. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment, finance, human development, agriculture, etc., while striving to expand cooperation in other potential areas such as mining, hydrocarbons, food processing, ICT, science and technology, medium and small scale industries and public health. Both sides agreed to find ways and means of further expanding bilateral trade. President Sirleaf affirmed that Liberia would create favourable conditions for Indian enterprises to invest in the country.

7.     President Sirleaf highly appreciated the support and assistance of the Government and people of India rendered to Liberia's development process over the past years and warmly welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister of India to continue to assist in its socio-economic development.

8.     The Liberian side welcomed Government of India's consideration of its requests for enhanced slots for education, training and capacity building of the Liberian people as well as for the Government of India's Line of Credit for a power transmission project. Both sides agreed on the need to expedite implementation of projects which have been offered to Liberia as part of the decisions of the India-Africa Forum Summits of 2008 and 2011.

9.     President Sirleaf took special note of India's active participation in the United Nations sponsored peace mission in Liberia and appreciated the role India continues to play in promoting peace and security in the continent.

10. The leaders affirmed their desire and determination to work together for peace and stability in the region and the world and agreed to further strengthen cooperation at regional and international fora.

11. Both sides stressed the need to speed up the reform of the United Nations and the expansion of the Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories of membership. Liberia reaffirmed its support for India for a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council. The Indian side thanked Liberia for this support and conveyed that it respects Liberia’s commitment to the Common African Position regarding the reform of the Security Council.

12. The two sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and resolved to increase cooperation in the common efforts of the international community in combating this scourge in a comprehensive manner.

13. The following agreements were signed during the visit:

a)    Agreement on Establishment of Joint Commission between India and Liberia

b)    MoU between Foreign Service Institutes of India and Liberia

c)     MoU on cooperation in the field of Oil and Gas between India and Liberia

d)    Agreement between Exim Bank and Government of Liberia for a Line of Credit of US$ 144 million for funding a power transmission and distribution project in Liberia

14. Both sides agreed that the State visit of the President of Liberia will provide fresh impetus for the future development of a comprehensive partnership.15. The President of Liberia expressed her gratitude to the Government of India for the warm reception and hospitality extended to her and the members of her delegation during the visit. She invited the President and the Prime Minister of India to pay State visits to Liberia. The invitations were accepted and it was agreed that the dates of the visits would be finalized through diplomatic channels.

New Delhi
September 11, 2013