By Julius Jeh
juliusdjeh@yahoo.com
Monrovia,Liberia—President George Weah has expressed confidence that the relations between Liberia and the Russian Federation will become better, thereby creating the platform for an enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade and investment for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
President Weah’s statement is contained in his congratulatory message to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation on the occasion marking his reelection as President of that country.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, in the message to his Russian counterpart, President Weah said Mr. Putin’s successful reelection as President of the Federation exemplifies the validity of Russian democratic institutions which he said is a great source of pride of that country.
There has however been international condemnation of President Putin’s leadership style of the Russian Republic where the key opposition leader was barred from contesting, thereby giving him a landslide victory of 76 percent of the votes.
European leaders cautiously reacted to Mr Putin’s victory while US President Donald Trump is being criticized for calling Mr Putin to congratulate him.
It is not yet clear what President Weah policy towards Russia will be given the increasingly strained relations developing between Washington which is Monrovia’s traditional ally and Moscow.
However, the Liberian leader further added that under what he called the dynamic leadership of President Putin, the bilateral relationship subsisting between Liberia and Russia will continue to be marked by strong ties of friendship and cooperation.
He then wished for the Russian leader a continued good health and success as he embarks on his new term of office as President of the Federation.
