THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

News of a Special Envoy of India visit to Liberia, the visit of Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Brussels Airlines’ pronouncement of an extension in its flights and the dedication of the Peace Corps’ Headquarters in Monrovia are stories dominating our summary of today’s local dailies.

.

DOMINANAT STORIES  

India’s Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Arrives Today  

The Heritagenewspaper reports that a Special Envoy of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Gowdara Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises of India, at the head of an Indian Delegation, is expected in Monrovia on Thursday, September 10, 2015. According to a Foreign Ministry release, Mr. Siddeshwara will deliver a ‘Special Message’ to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, from Prime Minister Modi. He and delegation, including Indian Ambassador accredited near Monrovia, Abidjan and Freetown, Mr. Dinesh Bhatia and the Special Envoy’s Special Assistant, Mr. Haranahally Shivalingaiah Hariprasad will arrive abroad Kenya Airways.

Related Captions: India’s Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Arrives Today(FOCUS), India Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Arrives Today(In Profile Daily), India’s Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Arrives Today(The Inquirer)

IMF Boss Visits Liberia

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Ms. Christine Lagarde, is expected to visit Liberia beginning today, September 10-11, to engage with policymakers and other representatives of the Liberian society. According to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the IMF boss’ visit here is aimed at seeking greater understanding of Liberia’s post-Ebola recovery following various interventions by the Government of Liberia with support from the IMF and development partners. Ms. Lagarde at the head of a high power IMF delegation will hold series of discussions with government officials, representatives of women organizations and the private sector, including business and community leaders, a release by the ministry said. The MFDP release indicated that, the IMF delegation which includes Liberia’s former Finance Minister, Dr. Antoinette Sayeh will meet with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the leadership of the 53rd Liberian Legislature, members of the Cabinet and Diplomatic Corps, as well as other development partners and civil society organizations in the country. The New Dawn newspaper reports that on Friday, Ms. Lagarde will deliver a speech to a cross section of Liberians at the Monrovia City Hall in Sinkor. 

Related Captions: IMF Managing Director Visits Liberia Today(FOCUS), Top IMF Delegation Arrives In Liberia Today(INSIGHT), IMF MD Expected In Liberia Today(In Profile Daily), IMF Managing Director Visits Liberia Today(Heritage), IMF Managing Director Visits Liberia Today(West Africa INFO POST), IMF Director Here To Discuss Liberia’s Recovery Plan(Daily Observer), IMF Chief Visits Liberia Today(The News), IMF Boss Visits Liberia(New Democrat), IMF Managing Director Visits Liberia Today(The Inquirer), IMF Boss Arrives Today(The New Republic), First Hand Mission IMF Managing Direct Visits Liberia(FrontPage Africa)

Brussels Airlines Increases Flight To Four

Brussels Airlines has announced new interventions in its operations in Liberia including an increase in the number of flights to Liberia from two to four times weekly (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays); while the airline’s crew will now use Monrovia as a base (sleep over). There will also be a stop-over in Freetown en route to Monrovia and a non-stop flight from Monrovia to Brussels. According to theNew Dawn newspaper, these decisions, including the removal of Liberia from its Travel Advisory List, were taken last week by the Belgium authorities based on the country’s “Ebola free status”. An Executive Mansion release said Brussels Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Bernard Gustin informed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of these decisions when he paid her a courtesy call at her office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, September 9, 2015. Mr. Gustin, who is also Chairman of the Management Board of Brussels Airlines, was accompanied by the airline’s Country Manager, Federick Vloeberghs. For her part, President Sirleaf thanked the CEO of Brussels Airlines and the entire management team for the new interventions and for standing firmly by Liberia during the entire Ebola crisis. “Brussels Airlines has been a real friend to Liberia. When Ebola surfaced, you did not suspend your flights to Liberia and kept the country connected to the outside world. Again, you are normalizing your operations in Liberia and I want to thank you for this,” she said. The president acknowledged that the new pronouncement was very good news for Liberia, adding that increasing flights to four days a week and using the country as a crew base was a clear message to the rest of the world that Liberia is once again free and back in the business of development and progress.

Related Captions: Brussels Airlines’ CEO Announces New Interventions…Meets With President Sirleaf(The Inquirer), Brussels Airlines Increases Flights To Liberia(The New Republic), Brussels Airlines’ CEO Announces New Interventions In Its Liberia Operations(FOCUS)

Ellen Wants Peace Corps ‘Uninterrupted’

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has expressed hope that the US Peace Corps “are back” to Liberia “to stay, and that there will be no more interruptions”. She made the remarks when she cut the ribbon to the Peace Corps’ Headquarters in the Sinkor suburb of Monrovia Wednesday.

In July 2014, President Sirleaf recalled that the Peace Corps unfortunately announced the temporary removal of its volunteers from Liberia due to the rapid spread of the Ebola virus - prior to which 108 volunteers were already working in the areas of education. The Liberian Leader said she also made a request that was also approved for Liberian college graduates to serve in the Peace Corps as national youth volunteers to be able to pair with the Peace Corps Volunteers in their assignments throughout the country. Today, according to President Sirleaf, 300 young college graduates are beneficiaries, emphasizing that the volunteers have, [monitored] county health teams, facilitated Parents Teachers Associations, supported refugee relief efforts, help to build libraries, as well as train teachers in recent times to be better skilled, among others. Earlier, US Ambassador to Liberia Deborah Malac said she was thrilled by the building dedicated, expressing hope that “we will” have a large Peace Corps very soon. Amb. Malac said the volunteers were helping students understand the value of education, while commending the great job that the Peace Corps staffs have done in Liberia, working along with the Center for Disease Control and supporting the Liberian Government’s Incidence Management System during the course of the Ebola virus disease, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption:  Pres. Sirleaf Dedicates New Peace Corps-Liberia Headquarters(FOCUS), New Peace Corps-Liberia Headquarters Dedicated(In Profile Daily), Peace Corps Program Resumption Excites Ellen-Dedicates Headquarters in Monrovia(Daily Observer), New Peace Corps-Liberia Headquarters Dedicated(Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Wants Immigration On Int’l Standard

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, September 8, 2015, submitted a bill titled: “the Liberia Immigration Service Act 2015” to the House of Representatives for enactment into law during its extraordinary session. In a letter addressed to House Speaker J. Alex Tyler and read in session yesterday, President Sirleaf indicated that the Act shall enforce all laws and regulations relating to immigration, citizenship, naturalization and related matters. According to her, the Liberia Immigration Service Act addresses policy issues needed to be in traditional values with international standards. “As Liberia commits to transition its system with that of its international partners, and its membership in the United Nations’ standard pattern of governance within the security apparatus, the Ministry of Justice has embarked on reforming the Liberia Immigration Service, known as the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, in consultation and collaboration with all of the relevant stakeholders and security sectors in Liberia,” the letter is quoted as saying, pens the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: As UNMIL Drawdown Fast Approaches: Ellen Moves To Strengthen LNP, BIN(INSIGHT)

Ellen, Sherman Hold Private Meeting At Capitol

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 visited the Capitol to hold closed door meeting with Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Cllr. Varney Sherman. Details of her meeting with the Unity Party Chairman were not disclosed to reporters at the Capitol. Both Pres. Sirleaf and Sen. Sherman declined to speak to the press, FOCUS reports.

Related Caption: Ellen, Sherman Hold ‘Secret Meeting’…At Capitol(The News)

House Passes Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Act

An Act transforming the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) to the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) has been passed into law by the House of Representatives. The passage of the Act repeals Chapter 57 Title 12 of the Executive Law of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised 1973 and establishes in its stead a new Chapter 57 Title 12 known as the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), FOCUS newspaper writes.

Partner To Build US$4m Medical Complex In Maryland …UNICEF Donates To County’s School System

Partner In Health, an International NGO, says it plans to construct a medical complex in Harper, Maryland County, The project is valued at over US$4 million. The Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, Daniel Williams, said the people of Big Town in Huffman Station have already provided several acres of land for the project. Partner in Health, an American medical institution which started operation in Maryland in 2014 during the Ebola outbreak in the country, has since been rendering medical services to the people, the Inquirer newspaper reports.

Related Caption: Partner To Build Medical Complex In Maryland(New Democrat)