The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., will apparently return from Doha, the State of Qatar, with pleasant news for Liberia, as Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, has reassured him of Qatar’s commitment to funding the second phase of the Lofa Road project, which will see continuation and completion of the pavement of the Lofa Road from Konia to Manikomah in Foya District, Lofa County.
The meeting of the Senior Liberian Diplomat with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, which was held in the Grand Palace of the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar on Thursday, October 19, 2023, was more than just cordiality and fraternity. The meeting between Foreign Minister Kemayah and Prime Minister Al-Thani was a strategic engagement, demonstrating how important the bilateral relations and cooperation are to both countries. The two senior diplomats talked about several ways to collaborate in areas, such as commerce, investment, cultural exchange, diplomacy, regional peace and security, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, health, education, sport development and international Peace and Security. Despite the physical separation of their two countries, both Foreign Minister Kemayah and Prime Al-Thani affirmed a shared commitment to fostering cooperation and development.
Foreign Minister Kemayah paid an official visit to Doha, Qatar, as an official guest of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, based on an invitation he received from his counterpart in Doha.
While in Doha, Foreign Minister Kemayah met and held discussions on both bilateral and regional levels with three top government officials of the State of Qatar: the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, the Minister of State, H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and Mr. Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari, the Director-General of the Qatar Fund for Development.
During a lunch reception hosted by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State of the State of Qatar in honor of H.E. Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. Al-Khulaifi and Foreign Minister Kemayah held extensive discussions centered on regional peace, security and stability in West Africa and international peace and security. Foreign Minister Kemayah and Dr. Al-Khulaifi agreed and committed to close-ranks to further strengthen cooperation between Liberia and the State of Qatar aimed at enhancing and strengthening regional peace, security and stability in West Africa and the Sahel.
According to a dispatch from Doha, Foreign Minister Kemayah made use of his visit to follow-up on the commitment His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, The Emir of the Sate of Qatar made when he met with His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia in December 2022 when President Weah visited the Sate of Qatar.
“Your Excellency, on the bilateral front, let me use this opportunity to on behalf of H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia and the Government and people of Liberia reiterate our profoundest gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, The Emir of the Sate of Qatar and the Government and People of Qatar for the commitment of His Highness, The Emir of the Sate of Qatar, to support phase two of the Lofa Road Project, made to H.E. President Dr. George Manneh Weah during the 2022 World Cup when our two leaders met”, Foreign Minister Kemayah said to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
In an affirmative response, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said, the Government of Qatar remains committed to further strengthen bilateral ties with the Government and the People of Liberia, and to whatever support that Qatari Government has committed to. The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister commended Liberia for its stance on democratic governance in the African subregion.
Besides the reassurance of the Qatari Government to fund the second phase of Lofa Road, the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, Mr. Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari, acting on the directive of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, during a meeting with Minister Kemayah, accepted Foreign Minister Kemayah’s request for support to ongoing reforms, which include policy framework, infrastructure/renovation, equipment, logistics, and human resource capacity development. Foreign Minister Kemayah’s request is in line with the reform process that he has embarked upon since his ascendancy to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet of the Republic of Liberia.
It is believed that Lofa Road is one of several signature projects of President Weah since his ascendancy to the Presidency in 2018. It can be recalled that the government of Qatar contributed funding for the first phase of the Lofa road that begins from Gbarnga, Bong County to Konia Town in the Zorzor District, Lofa County. The Lofa Road Project is a long stretch of roads running from Gbarnga, Bong County, to Manikomah in Lofa County.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kemayah and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Al-Thani also discussed broader issues of regional importance. Both Qatar and Liberia expressed a firm commitment to supporting democratic institutions and addressing humanitarian and development needs in conflict-affected areas. This shared aspiration for regional stability was a key point of convergence in the meeting.
Liberia and Qatar established diplomatic relations in 2009, but both countries opened embassies in one another’s capitals in 2011. Since then, Liberia and Qatar have had very strong ties on many fronts, including bilateral and multilateral levels.
