Cyprus Offers Liberia Maritime Security Training, Scholarships

Published: September 23, 2026

MONROVIA – Cyprus has offered to train Liberian personnel in maritime and port security and provide scholarships to Liberians, after the two countries’ foreign ministers signed an agreement in New York to establish regular political consultations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti and Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos signed the memorandum of understanding during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The agreement creates a formal mechanism for regular dialogue between the two governments.

“A relationship doesn’t exist if it’s not active,” Nyanti said, according to the ministry.

The training offer covers maritime security, law enforcement, customs and related security disciplines, the ministry said. Cyprus also offered scholarships and specialized training, including in maritime-related fields. The ministry did not say how many Liberians would benefit, when the programs would begin or which Liberian institutions would take part.

Shipping dominated the talks. Nyanti pointed to Liberia’s standing as a global maritime leader and its responsibility to promote maritime safety and security and protect seafarers and vessels, while Kombos cited Cyprus’s experience in shipping and ship management and said his country was ready to deepen cooperation, according to the ministry.

The ministers also discussed creating a Liberia-Cyprus joint commission to coordinate cooperation and turn agreements into programs, though the ministry’s account does not indicate that they reached any decision. Kombos invited Nyanti to visit Cyprus.

The ministry said the consultations framework will also cover higher education, trade and investment, exchanges between the two peoples, and regional and global issues. Nyanti briefed Kombos on Liberia’s term on the UN Security Council, it said.

The agreement follows the presentation of credentials in February by Liberia’s ambassador to Cyprus, Teeko Tozay Yorlay, to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. Yorlay said at the time that relations between the two countries date to 2000.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will work with Liberian institutions and Cypriot counterparts to follow up on the commitments.