Liberia: President Weah Requests Audience With U.S. VP Kamala Harris Ahead of Visit to UN General Assembly

Monrovia — As President George Weah’s six-year mandate nears completion, his government is seeking every chance to end on a good footing with Liberia’s traditional ally, the United States of America.

The President, for the most part of his administration, was taunted by his critics and the opposition community for being ‘snubbed’ by the United States Government over its refusal to extend an official invitation to him more than halfway through his administration; something that did not happen to his immediate predecessor.

That is why when U.S Ambassador Michael McCarthy broke the news at Liberia’s 175th Independence Day celebration that the President has been invited by President Joe Biden to the upcoming Summit for Democracy in Washington D.C. this December 2022, the Centennial Pavilion erupted into the loudest applause, much to the astonishment of the visiting guests. It was as though the President and his team have hit the jackpot and they will now breathe a sigh of relief.

Perhaps, not content with Biden’s invitation, the Liberian Government wants to make use of every opportunity at its disposal to establish a solid relationship with the Biden-Harris administration; evidence of a leaked communication in possession of FrontPageAfrica.

The letter dated August 7, 2022 and reportedly written by the Liberian Embassy in Washington D.C is requesting the U.S. Department of States to arrange a meeting between President Weah and Vice President Kamala D. Harris on the Liberian leader’s visit to the U.S. Capital at the end of this Month to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus.

Below is an excerpt of the letter.

The Embassy of the Republic of Liberia presents its compliments to the United States Department of State and has the honor to inform that H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia will travel to Washington, DC during the week of September 28- October, 2022, to meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and other members of Congress in continuation of the Bicentennial celebration of Liberia.

While in the nation’s capital, President Weah would like to meet with Hon. Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States The meeting will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the strong and vital relationship between the United States and Liberia.

The Embassy of the Republic of Liberia avail itself of this opportunity to renew to the United States Department of State of its highest assurance of its highest consideration.

When contacted, the Liberian Embassy in Washington D.C. could not confirm nor deny the communication.

However the dates outlined in the letter coincide with the schedule to the United Nations General Assembly where world leaders will be converging in New York for the 77th UN General Assembly.

The President is expected to lead a delegation to attend the 77th summit which runs from the 13-27th of this month.

The next day as per the Liberian Embassy’s alleged letter, the President will travel to Washington D.C. to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus and other members of the United States Congress in continuation of Liberia’s Bicentennial celebration.

Though, the Liberian Government has not confirmed the validity of the letter, the reported planned meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus will be a continuation of the meeting between the two parties that was held in Monrovia.

In February this year, a U.S. Congressional delegation headed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ influential Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York 5th Congressional District visited Liberia as part of the Bicentennial celebration.

Other members of the delegation included Representatives Joyce Marie Beatty, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, representing Ohio’s 3rd congressional district, George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. of the 1st congressional district of North Carolina and Ami Bera, California’s 7th congressional district. Others include Reps. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s 5th congressional district and the first naturalized American citizen born on African soil (Somalia) to serve in Congress, Brenda Lawrence, Michigan 14th congressional district and Troy Anthony Carter of Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district.

The delegation held meetings with President Weah, the civil society, and visited several historic sites including Providence Island where the freed settlers landed, the Providence Baptist Church where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and viewed several historical documents including the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the 1847 Constitution of Liberia.

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