PHOTO: Amb. McCarthy addressing Foreign Service officers
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The United States Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy is encouraging future Liberian diplomats to consider ways through which they can support Liberia’s development and cultivate foreign investment, as well as employment opportunities
He said Liberian diplomats need to have knowledge of the sectors which Liberia has comparative advantage and areas where the country leads in terms of the raw materials and resources.
Ambassador McCarthy was giving the keynote speech recently at the occasion marking the formal launching of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Intensive Training Program for newly assigned low diplomats in Monrovia.
He advised Foreign Service officers to educate themselves about the concession companies currently operating in Liberia and tap on the talents of long serving Liberian and foreign diplomats.
The US envoy pointed out that this is necessary in order to contribute to employment and increase Liberia’s revenue base
“As Liberia approaches its 174th independence anniversary,” he went on, “I am of the sincere hope that you will not just be building government to government relations between two countries but between peoples of countries you future assignments will take you.”
In remarks, Foreign Affairs Minister, Dee Maxwell Kemayah, disclosed that no low ranking foreign service officer will be allowed to take up assignments, unless he or she undergoes the one-month intensive training introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Liberian Foreign Minister Kemayah
According to him, the training is in accordance to the objectives of the pro poor agenda of the Liberian government which is crafted by President George Weah to ease the hardship among the ordinary people.
According to him, for Foreign Service officers to be assigned, they will have to go vigorous process that will prepare them to help the government in addressing the many challenges affecting the country.
“In the past, there was three-day training but we have increased the process to month-long before taking assignments or going on the field because it is in line with the reform agenda.”
“As long as we are here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this intensive month-long training of foreign service officers will continue,” the Liberian Foreign Minister pointed out.
The House’ Committee Chairman of Foreign Affairs, Crayton Duncan , assured the Foreign Ministry of his fullest cooperation of House of Representatives in offering training for foreign service officers.
He promised to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in ensuring its allotment in the national budget is increase in order to adequately propagate agenda of the Liberian govern government in serving its people.
Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of the Senate Committee of Foreign Affairs, Conmany Wesseh encouraged the authority at the Foreign Affairs to educate Foreign Service officers of the significance of the process that brought an end to civil war in Liberia.
Sen. Wesseh told the US diplomat that Liberians will never follow the incident in which supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the congress causing legislators to flee
The program was graced by a cross session of members of the diplomatic corps, the UN Resident Representative in Liberia, Niels Scott; Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador George Wallace ;senior staffs of the Ministry of Foreign affairs, among others.
Guests and other officials at the ceremony