Boakai, Trump On Bilateral Meeting
On the margins of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, held a high-level bilateral meeting on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, with President Donald John Trump.
The meeting, a dispatch said, was held in closed-door at the White House, focused on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
It was held with particular emphasis on unlocking investment opportunities in the country’s mineral sector.
During the structured engagement, Pres. Boakai highlighted the country’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the United States through a new economic diplomacy framework that prioritizes trade, investment, and private sector-driven development.
“Liberia is open for business,” Boakai told Trump, adding: “We are committed to creating an enabling environment for American investors, especially in the mineral, energy, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.
Our natural resource endowment, especially in critical minerals, presents a major opportunity for U.S. investment that is both profitable and transformative,” Pres. Boakai added.
He has meanwhile, invited the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to partner with the country to conduct a nationwide mapping of its critical minerals, with a view to identify strategic investment opportunities in rare earth elements, lithium, gold, and iron ore.
The President emphasized the importance of U.S. technical expertise in helping the country to unlock the full potential of its mineral wealth in a way that is sustainable, transparent, and beneficial to local communities.
President Trump then welcomed the renewed momentum in U.S.-Liberia relations.
He praised Pres. Boakai’s leadership in prioritizing economic reforms and rooting out corruption.
Trump expressed strong support for expanded U.S. commercial engagement in Liberia.
He also acknowledged the country’s strategic role in promoting regional stability and economic resilience in West Africa.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of job creation, particularly for youth, as a critical tool in safeguarding regional security and preventing extremism.
Pres. Boakai emphasized that the development of the country’s mineral sector could serve as a cornerstone for job creation, infrastructure development, and national revenue generation.
The meeting concluded with Trump congratulating Boakai on the election to the UN Security Council None Permanent seat, while Boakai congratulated Trump on the 249th Independence of the United States, and a joint commitment to strengthen bilateral ties through enhanced cooperation in trade, energy, security, and private sector development.
Both leaders instructed their respective teams to accelerate follow-up actions and explore immediate avenues for technical collaboration and investment facilitation.