Ethel Davis, Liberia’s deputy foreign affairs minister, says the country remains grateful to Nigeria for standing by it during its darkest moments, stressing that the gesture was unforgettable.

She stated this during a meeting with her Nigerian counterpart, Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday in Abuja.

“Nigeria is a country that Liberia will never forget. Why? Because this country was there for us through our darkest period in history. So, it is something that we will never forget,” she stated.

Ms Davis disclosed that if you woke up any Liberian citizen from sleep and asked them who their best friend was, the first thing that would come to mind would be Nigeria.

She expressed appreciation to the federal government and the people of Nigeria for their unwavering support for Liberia over the years.

According to her, Liberia is ready to explore other ways to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in the spirit of brotherhood.

She explained that the meeting between the two ministers focused on deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Mr Enikanolaiye said that Nigeria and Liberia had come a long way since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them, noting that the relationship was historically rich.

He said that Nigeria’s level of engagement in Liberia, in terms of assisting in restoring peace, security, and stability to the country, was a reflection of the deep relationship between them.

According to him, the relationship between the two countries has blossomed from a government-to-government relationship to a person-to-person one.

“This visit is intended to actually consult a lot more on our bilateral relations and ensure that there are no irritants, and to also fully explore opportunities for closer bilateral relations.

“I welcome, particularly, the proposed investment summit by Liberia scheduled to be held in August, in Lagos. We have been invited, and we are partnering with Liberia, particularly the private sector of both countries, which will then deepen commercial, trade, and economic relations between our two countries,” he said.

Mr Enikanolaiye added that this would further elevate Nigeria-Liberia diplomatic relations and advance the welfare, prosperity, peace, and security of people within the two countries.

(NAN)