President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of Liberia met with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, during the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The discussions aimed to strengthen Liberia’s integration into the global trading system and enhance trade facilitation.
President Boakai emphasized his administration’s commitment to deepening Liberia’s participation in multilateral trade and aligning trade policies with national development priorities. He highlighted the need for increased technical assistance and capacity-building programs to empower Liberian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to compete internationally. Additionally, he expressed interest in exploring initiatives that promote sustainable economic growth, job creation, and industrialization.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala praised Liberia’s recent economic growth and commitment to trade reforms. She assured WTO support in helping Liberia maximize global trade benefits. She also stressed enhancing regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and encouraged Liberia to leverage WTO-led initiatives for boosting trade resilience amid global economic challenges.
Both leaders acknowledged the importance of a rules-based global trading system and reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation between Liberia and the WTO. They agreed to explore further collaboration avenues, including technical support for trade policy formulation and private sector engagement.
President Boakai stated that Liberia’s active role in regional and global economic dialogues is focused on prioritizing economic transformation and sustainable development.
