Published: June 2, 2026
MONROVIA – The Civil Service Agency Director-General carried a personal message of goodwill from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to Ivorian leadership in Abidjan Monday, using a high-level bilateral meeting to advance cooperation on governance, public service delivery and healthcare as both countries seek to deepen one of West Africa’s longest-standing bilateral relationships.
Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr. met with Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé at the Prime Minister’s Office, on the sidelines of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa, where Joekai is representing Liberia. The meeting produced renewed commitments from both sides to expand collaboration on institutional reform, healthcare advancement and sustainable development across the region.
“I am truly honored to be here, Mr. Prime Minister. I bring warm greetings from His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, who has asked me to convey his best wishes to his brother, His Excellency Alassane Dramane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire,” Joekai said.
Boakai’s message, conveyed through Joekai, emphasized the importance of strengthening the historic relationship between the two countries and advancing closer cooperation on initiatives designed to improve governance, institutional effectiveness and health outcomes. Joekai also commended Côte d’Ivoire for hosting the continental conference and praised its leadership for supporting partnerships aimed at building stronger public institutions across Africa.
Prime Minister Mambé welcomed the Liberian delegation warmly, reaffirmed Abidjan’s commitment to maintaining strong ties with Monrovia and assured Joekai that President Boakai’s message would be delivered to President Ouattara. Mambé underscored the importance of continued collaboration in healthcare and public administration, sectors both governments increasingly view as central to sustainable development and improved quality of life for their citizens.
Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire share deep historical, economic and cultural ties built over decades of cooperation on trade, security, peacebuilding and regional stability. More recently, that partnership has expanded to include public sector reforms, institutional capacity-building and social development programs.
The HaPSNA conference has drawn government officials, policymakers and public service leaders from across the continent to explore innovative approaches to healthcare delivery and public sector performance. Officials noted that bilateral engagements on the margins of such gatherings often yield diplomatic dividends beyond the formal conference agenda, allowing governments to identify new areas of cooperation in less formal settings.
Joekai was accompanied by Liberia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Côte d’Ivoire, Ambassador Willye Mai Tolbert King.
The Abidjan visit is the latest expression of the Boakai administration’s broader diplomatic push to deepen regional partnerships and advance shared development priorities across West Africa.
Discussion about this post