– As Foreign Minister Cohen Warmly Receives Foreign Minister Kemayah
On the sidelines of President George Manneh Weah’s recent visit to the State of Israel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet of Liberia, Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah, Sr., finalized a significant agreement with his Israelite counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen.
According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs release, Foreign Minister Cohen notified his Liberian counterpart that his request to Israel to establish a solar farm that would supply 1000 kVA of continuous, clean, and environmentally friendly solar power to Liberia’s Foreign Ministry has been unconditionally approved by the Government of the State of Israel.
The world community recognizes solar energy as a source of a clean power supply that can help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the ozone layer. The greenhouse effect is to blame for the warming of the planet. When it is finished, it will be one of if not the largest of its kind in the Liberia and a significant step in reducing the effects of global warming.
Making remarks when he received Foreign Minister Kemayah along with his entourage at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, Foreign Minister Cohen expressed a very warm reception and pleasantries, stating that the State of Israel and Liberia have stronger relations. Mr. Cohen said his government’s approval of the request from Foreign Minister Kemayah for a solar farm for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was unconditional.
Foreign Minister Cohen further disclosed that although Israel has many investments in Africa, much has not been done in Liberia. On this account, he informed Foreign Minister Kemayah and his delegation that Israel has also accepted to field a trade and investment exploratory team to Liberia before the end of September 2023.
In response, the Liberian Foreign Minister thanked his Israeli counterpart for the kind gesture of approving the request for a solar farm for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia and the investment and trade mission to Liberia.
Foreign Minister Kemayah said, “On behalf of His Excellency President Dr. George Manneh Weah, the Government and People of Liberia, and in my own name, let me firstly thank you for the very warm reception you and your team have accorded us since we arrived at your ministry”. Foreign Kemayah, who is Liberia’s chief diplomat, further said Liberia has a very strong historical tie with Israel, as he reflected on Liberia’s role in the independence struggle of the people of Israel, when Liberia cast the last vote that made the United Nations recognized Israel as an independent state in 1947.
It can be recalled that in late 2020, when Foreign Minister Kemayah took over the helm of power at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he embarked on a reform process that among other targeted improving policies, strengthening Liberia’s bilateral and multilateral ties, enhancing human resource development, strengthening transparency and accountability and developing infrastructure at the Ministry.
To realize these objectives, among other things, the Liberian Foreign Ministry, which has not been renovated at such a major level for the last fifty years, is currently undergoing renovation works that started on the sixth floor, and the entire building renovation will be completed in the next few months. It is expected that the solar farm project will be expedited.
Foreign Ministers Kemayah and Cohen ended their bilateral meeting with commitment to strengthen corporation between Liberia and State of Israel in the areas of agriculture, health, education, scholarship opportunities, water resource management, energy, investment and trade, among others. Foreign
Ministers Kemayah and Cohen further discussed and agreed to remain engaged on working out diplomatic modalities for the opening of the reopening of their respective embassies in the State of Israel and the Republic of Liberia.
