The Japanese Government has pledged to construct the road between the Gabriel Tucker Bridge and the St. Paul Bridge, Liberia President George Weah has disclosed.
Addressing journalists at the Roberts International Airport upon his return home Tuesday, from the TICAD7 conference held in Tokyo Japan recently, President Weah said his tête-a-tête with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was basically to appreciate Japan for its “magnanimous” contributions to Liberia, recounting the ongoing construction of the two-phased four-lanes Somalia Drive, renamed “Japan Freeway,” food aid, and other areas of goodwill.
He also beseeched Japan to provide assistance to Liberia in the areas of technology, and energy, declaring that it is not a secret that his nation is lagging behind in these sectors which, he noted, is posing challenges to development efforts and consequently contributing to poverty.
“We’re talking about innovation here. And those who have the means and the strength – we can only ask them to help us because we need to build capacity and we don’t have the necessary facilities here. I mean anything we can do to help our country – I think the best to do is to go out there and talk to our counterparts.
“TICAD was a successful one, and I think the conversation started earlier in June when we had our ministers in and out to make sure that everything was in place and, so, we just went there to conclude those discussions,” President Weah told Executive Mansion reporters.
According to the Liberian leader, he lauded PM Abe for Japan’s interventions in the rebuilding process of Liberia, and both leaders recommitted their countries’ resolve to further solidify the
friendship subsisting between both nations.
The Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) and the Director General of the National Aquaculture Fisheries Authority (NaFAA) were part of the President’s delegation to TICAD7.
TICAD7 is the seventh edition of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development, a symposium at which African heads of state and government, and civil society and private sector actors meet to discuss bilateral cooperation with the second Asian economic powerhouse.
Foreign Minister Gbehzongar Findley is now expected to remain engaged with the relevant Japanese officials in relation to cementing the necessary pacts for future programs earmarked for Japan to undertake in Liberia.
TSS/abj/APA