Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to meet President Weah of Liberia; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister wrote to President Weah to congratulate him on his election victory, and I share those sentiments. Our Ambassador in Monrovia and a senior official from London attended President Weah's inauguration on 23^rd January, and discussed early priorities with him.

The UK's relationship with Liberia is an historic one. Britain was the first country to recognise Liberia's independence in 1848. The Foreign Secretary made the first ever visit to Liberia by a serving UK Foreign Minister in February 2017. My predecessor as Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart, met with a delegation of Liberian Ministers in September. The UK financial commitment to Liberia is approximately £70m annually and our Embassy in Monrovia will work closely with the new administration to help deliver our shared priorities.