By Linus Flomo
The Mayor of Monrovia City, John-Charuk Siafa, has met with Sweden’s Ambassador to Liberia, Karl Backéus.
The meeting on Thursday, November 28, at the Swedish Embassy in Sinkor focused on fostering a closer partnership and exploring avenues for Swedish support in addressing key challenges facing Liberia’s capital city.
During the courtesy visit, Mayor Siafa and Ambassador Backéus discussed a range of critical issues, with particular emphasis on the establishment of sister city relationships between Monrovia and Swedish cities.
This initiative aims to build stronger bilateral ties and promote exchange programs that can help develop both cities.
Another major topic of conversation was Liberia’s ongoing struggle with solid waste management.
Mayor Siafa appealed to the Swedish Embassy for logistical support and a swift intervention to help address the city’s waste management crisis.
Mayor Siafa underscored the need for closer cooperation between the Swedish government and the Monrovia City Corporation, particularly in the areas of capacity building, police reform, and waste management.
He emphasized the importance of integrating Monrovia into Sweden’s development programs in Liberia.
“We believe that Sweden’s experience and expertise can greatly support the city of Monrovia, particularly in building sustainable media campaigns for waste management and supporting reforms within our local police force,” Mayor Siafa remarked.
The Mayor proposed that Sweden plays an active role in the city’s ongoing efforts to improve governance and service delivery through strategic partnerships.
Ambassador Backéus responded positively to the Mayor’s proposals, commending the leadership and progress achieved by the Monrovia City Corporation under Mayor Siafa’s tenure. “We appreciate the mayor’s vision for Monrovia and his team’s commitment to improving the city’s infrastructure and services,” said Ambassador Backéus. “We will certainly evaluate the proposed initiatives and see how they can be integrated into Sweden’s development agenda for Liberia.”
The Swedish Embassy has been an important partner in Liberia’s development, and this meeting marks the beginning of what is expected to be a deepening relationship between Sweden and the City of Monrovia.
As the conversation concluded, they expressed optimism about future collaborations, with the Mayor reiterating his desire for swift and practical solutions to the city’s pressing issues, particularly in solid waste management, policing, and urban governance.
This meeting comes at a crucial time when Monrovia is grappling with significant urban challenges, and the Mayor’s efforts to secure international partnerships are seen as vital steps toward addressing the city’s needs.
