by Al-Jerome Anastas Chede
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., June 2 2026— Liberia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet, Her Excellency Madame Sara Beysolow Nyanti, has held a series of high-level diplomatic engagements in Washington, D.C., aimed at strengthening the longstanding partnership between the Republic of Liberia and the United States while advocating for issues of critical importance to both countries.
Among the most pressing matters discussed during the Minister's visit is the impending expiration of *Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for eligible Liberian nationals on June 30, 2026. If not extended, approximately 4,000 Liberians who have lived and worked lawfully in the United States for many years could face significant immigration uncertainty. Many have established families, built successful careers, paid taxes, and made valuable contributions to American communities and the U.S. economy.
During a productive bilateral meeting with Honorable Brian J. Mast, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Representative for Florida's 21st Congressional District, Minister Nyanti made a strong and compelling case for continued congressional support for Liberia and the Liberian diaspora. She appealed for the extension of DED while also advocating for a durable pathway to lawful permanent residence for eligible Liberians, thereby providing a permanent solution to an issue that has required successive executive actions over the years.
"Thousands of Liberians have become productive members of American society," Minister Nyanti observed. "They have contributed to the U.S. economy, strengthened their communities, and maintained enduring ties with Liberia. We respectfully believe that a durable solution would reflect the unique historical relationship between our two countries while recognizing their longstanding contributions to the United States."
Minister Nyanti underscored the special and historic relationship between Liberia and the United States, founded on shared democratic values, longstanding people-to-people ties, and decades of close cooperation in promoting peace, security, democracy, and development.
Beyond immigration issues, discussions focused on advancing Liberia's economic transformation agenda. The Minister briefed Chairman Mast on the current status of Liberia's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact. She emphasized that the country's most significant development constraint remains inadequate access to affordable and reliable electricity and appealed for support toward a more an expanded compact value that would address both electricity generation and transmission, including the development of a 200-megawatt power generation facility and associated infrastructure.
Recognizing Liberia's experience during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic and the continuing risk of emerging infectious diseases in the region, Minister Nyanti further appealed for enhanced support under the existing U.S.–Liberia Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen Liberia's preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks through improved surveillance, laboratory capacity, rapid response systems, and public health infrastructure.
The discussions also addressed Liberia's growing migration management challenges arising from the reported influx of migrants from Burkina Faso and other parts of the Sahel region. The Minister highlighted Liberia's longstanding humanitarian tradition while noting the need for strengthened international cooperation to support border management, humanitarian response, and community stabilization.
As part of Liberia's broader economic diplomacy agenda, Minister Nyanti highlighted ongoing discussions with the United States regarding strategic investment opportunities, including cooperation in the responsible development and mapping of Liberia's critical mineral resources. She emphasized that such collaboration would promote transparency, sustainable development, supply chain resilience, and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.
The Minister also reaffirmed Liberia's commitment to working closely with the United States during its 2026–2027 tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and emphasized Liberia's support for continued cooperation on regional peace and security, democratic governance, multilateral diplomacy, and economic development.
Chairman Mast warmly welcomed Minister Nyanti and the Liberian delegation, reaffirming the importance of the longstanding partnership between the United States and Liberia. He acknowledged Liberia's important contributions to regional peace and democratic governance and expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the two countries within the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.
He also expressed support for strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas including energy development, strategic minerals, economic growth, and regional stability, recognizing Liberia as one of America's closest and most reliable democratic partners in Africa.
Minister Nyanti's engagements in Washington reflect Liberia's proactive diplomatic strategy of advancing both immediate national priorities and long-term strategic partnerships. The visit combines advocacy on behalf of Liberian nationals residing in the United States with efforts to expand cooperation in trade, investment, health security, infrastructure, energy, and regional peace and security.
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