Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., today, held a high-level discussion with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa.

The meeting focused on strengthening Liberia’s integration into the global trading system, enhancing trade facilitation, and leveraging WTO mechanisms to support Liberia’s economic diversification agenda.

President Boakai reaffirmed his Administration’s commitment to deepening Liberia’s participation in multilateral trade and ensuring that trade policies align with national development priorities.

During the discussions, President Boakai emphasized the need for increased technical assistance and capacity-building programs to empower Liberian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to compete in international markets. He also underscored Liberia’s interest in exploring trade-related initiatives that foster sustainable economic growth, job creation, and industrialization.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala commended Liberia’s steady economic growth rate recently and commitment to trade reforms and expressed the WTO’s readiness to support the country in maximizing the benefits of global trade.

She highlighted the importance of enhancing regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and encouraged Liberia to take advantage of WTO-led initiatives aimed at boosting trade resilience, particularly in the face of global economic challenges.

Both leaders acknowledged the significance of a rules-based global trading system and reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation between Liberia and the WTO.

The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to explore further avenues of collaboration, including technical support for trade policy formulation and private sector engagement.

President Boakai said Liberia’s active role in regional and global economic dialogues is to prioritize economic transformation and sustainable development.