Pres. Sirleaf to address Ebola confab in Belgium

The European Union (EU) has invited President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to co-chair a high level conference on Ebola in Belgium next month. President Sirleaf is currently visiting the United States and is expected to meet President Obama.

The Liberian leader is expected to address the Ebola conference on behalf of the Mano River Union (MRU).

The Presidents and Ministers of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Togo as well as representatives of the African Union Commission, the UN, the Economic Community of West Africa States or ECOWAS, and the European Union will attend the conference at the highest level.

According to a press release, the conference is scheduled for the historic Egmont Palace, Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, 3rd March 2015 and is expected to be graced by Her Majesty, Queen Mathilde of Belgium. 

Its main focus is to maintain current efforts of preventing the spread of the Ebola virus and to also put in place a plan to help Liberia and the other affected African countries to recover and plan for the future. 

During the high level conference, the 11th European Development Fund National Indicative Programme for Liberia 2014-2020 will be signed between the Government of Liberia and the EU, which is the most important support programme of the EU to Liberia for the coming years. 

“This Fund is allocating EUR 279 million (USD 326 million at current rate of exchange) to Liberia, which will be divided into the four areas of: Good Governance, Energy, Education and Agriculture”, a press from the European Union’s office in Monrovia read.

The EU and its Member States have so far pledged around EUR 1.2 billion to respond to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

EU Ambassador to Liberia, Ms Tiina Intelmann, said: “For us it is crucial to assess the priorities and envisaged action presented by Liberia and to find a way that we can all work together, in the immediate and longer term, for recovery in Liberia and in West Africa.”