Liberia will reopen its Embassy here, in the same building it left 10 years ago when it severed its diplomatic ties with Israel, Foreign Minister Emest Eastman of Liberia told Israel TV today.
At the same time, Israel and Liberia will exchange Ambassadors. The Liberians announced that their Ambassador will be Samuel Pearson, who was formerly Liberia’s envoy to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Premier Menachem Begin announced at the same time that the Cabinet would be asked Sunday to approve the appointment of Gavriel Gavrieli as Ambassador to Monrovia.
Both announcements were made at a ceremony here where Begin and President Samuel Doe of Liberia signed an agreement of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, economics and military aid. Israeli experts will leave for Liberia after the High Holy Days to provide aid in the areas of farming, tropical medicine, road building, shipping and airline operations. Also mentioned was the possibility of Israeli military aid to Liberia and “intelligence information on Libya.”
Both Doe and Begin appeared pleased by the outcome of the four-day state visit by the Black African leader. “This is a good day for both Liberia and Israel, ” Begin said at the agreement signing ceremony. “We signed a good agreement, which will open a new year in the relations between our two countries of understanding, friendship and cooperation.”
Doe promised that at the upcoming convention of pro-western African countries in the Ivory Coast, he would raise the matter of other countries resuming diplomatic relations with Israel.
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