PM Trudeau heads to Madagascar from Liberia, where he promised stronger bonds
MONROVIA, Liberia — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is departing Liberia today with a promise to renew and strengthen the friendship between Canada and the West African nation.
“Canada and Liberia have a strong relationship — one that is made stronger by our shared belief that when women and girls are full participants in the social, economic and political lives of our two countries, we will all succeed,” Trudeau said Thursday in Monrovia.
The prime minister will spend Friday flying across the continent to Antananarivo, the capital city of the island nation of Madagascar, where he will lead the Canadian delegation at the summit of the International Organization of la Francophonie over the weekend.
The choice of Liberia for his first visit to Africa since the Liberals came to power last year surprised some observers, given there is a limited relationship and no obvious economic interests between Canada and Liberia, which was hit hard by the deadly Ebola virus in recent years.