German Development Minister Visits Liberia

19 May 2011

press release

Dirk Niebel, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, embarked on a three-day visit to Liberia on May 18, where he will be seeing for himself the progress made on the country’s reconstruction.

His schedule includes meetings with Liberia’s President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toga McIntosh, and other senior government representatives as well as visits to projects being conducted as part of Liberian-German development cooperation. The Minister will be accompanied by a delegation made up of members of the German parliament, business representatives and representatives of civil society. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson

“Liberia is on the right path to stability and economic growth. This development is in large part thanks to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and her resolute policies. After fourteen years of civil war and a difficult transition phase, which is still ongoing, the reconstruction of the country and the reduction of poverty are top of the political agenda. President Johnson-Sirleaf deserves our respect for the political and economic reforms she has im­ple­mented and for her clear political will to fight corruption,” Minister Niebel commented before setting off on his visit.

Liberia is not a partner country of German development cooperation in the classic sense. Instead, support is being provided as part of a regional programme that also covers the neighbouring countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire. All four countries are facing similar political and economic challenges following civil wars and internal strife.

The focus of Germany’s co­operation with Liberia is the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure, which has been largely destroyed. Food aid and development-oriented emergency and transition aid are also helping to stabilise the country.

Germany is providing Liberia with support in the building of roads, bridges, wells, schools and other important public facilities. The aim is to establish a basis for economic recovery. During his visit, Dirk Niebel will lay the founding stone for a new school.

As part of efforts to restore the infrastructure, Germany is supporting capacity development within Liberia’s transport sector. This will be a focus of discussions between Dirk Niebel and Liberia’s Minister of Transport, Willard Russelll, and Minister of Public Works, Samuel Kofi Woods. Dirk Niebel will also be opening a branch office of the Ministry of Transport.

Liberia has important raw materials, such as iron ore, gold, diamonds, timber, rubber and oil. In managing these resources, the country is committed to applying the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; Germany is supporting it in those efforts. Dirk Niebel will be meeting representatives of the initiative at the secretariat of the Liberia EITI to discuss the progress made with its implementation.

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