Paris — June 29th 2026
His Excellency Dr. Teeko Tozay Yorlay, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Liberia to the French Republic, today held a cordial and constructive meeting with Mr. Driss Ettazaoui, Municipal Councillor in charge of Twinning and International Cooperation, President of the Association of Elected Officials (France), and Vice President of Évreux Portes de Normandie responsible for City Policy and CISPD, together with Mr. Oliver Radle, Chief of Service for International Relations, to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation between the City of Évreux and a city to be identified in the Republic of Liberia.
The discussions focused on laying the foundation for practical and mutually beneficial cooperation, with particular interest in establishing a city-to-city partnership.
During the meeting, Ambassador Yorlay recalled his previous visit to Évreux and emphasized the importance of sustaining and deepening engagement between Liberia and local institutions in France. He also highlighted the positive contributions of the Liberian community residing in Évreux and informed his hosts of the community’s upcoming activities scheduled for 8 August 2026, underscoring the community’s role in fostering closer people-to-people ties.
A central focus of the discussions was the establishment of a framework for cooperation between two cities. Ambassador Yorlay proposed that the process begin with the identification of a Liberian city and preparation of a draft Cooperation Framework or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to serve as the basis for future collaboration. Mr. Ettazaoui welcomed the proposal and noted that the City of Évreux has considerable experience in international partnerships with municipalities and institutions in countries including Morocco, Senegal, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Both sides agreed that any future partnership should be practical, results-oriented, and aligned with shared development objectives. Mr. Ettazaoui expressed interest in identifying Liberia’s priority sectors for cooperation, while Ambassador Yorlay affirmed Liberia’s readiness to collaborate across a broad range of sectors consistent with the country’s national development priorities.
Economic cooperation emerged as a key pillar of the proposed partnership. The two sides emphasized the importance of promoting investment, strengthening business-to-business linkages, and expanding people-to-people exchanges as sustainable drivers of long-term cooperation. Ambassador Yorlay encouraged efforts to engage French investors and promote Liberia as an attractive destination for investment, while Mr. Ettazaoui referenced successful experiences involving mayors’ associations and business forums, including initiatives in Tangier, as useful models for future collaboration.
The meeting identified several priority areas for possible cooperation, including:
- Economic development and investment promotion;
- Agriculture;
- Energy and electricity;
- Tourism;
- Education;
- Health;
- Sanitation;
- Training and capacity building; and
- Arts, crafts, and cultural exchange.
Both parties also recognized the value of leveraging institutional platforms such as councils of mayors, city associations, chambers of commerce, and other local cooperation mechanisms to support the implementation of future initiatives.
As part of the agreed follow-up, Ambassador Yorlay requested the preparation of a draft Cooperation Framework or Memorandum of Understanding for review by both parties. The meeting further discussed the possibility of holding subsequent consultations at the Embassy of the Republic of Liberia in Paris and, in due course, arranging an official visit by the authorities of Évreux to Liberia as part of efforts to formalize the proposed partnership.
The meeting reflects the shared commitment of Liberia and the City of Évreux to advancing cooperation, fostering stronger economic and cultural ties, and building partnerships that contribute to sustainable development and mutual prosperity.