IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi Visits Liberia to Deepen Nuclear Science Partnership

By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

Liberia marked a diplomatic and scientific milestone on July 4 as the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cllr. Deweh E. Gray, formally welcomed Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia.

The visit—Grossi’s first to Liberia—follows decades of IAEA membership dating back to 1962, and comes at a time of renewed momentum in nuclear science cooperation under the administration of President Joseph Boakai.

Upon arrival at Roberts International Airport on Thursday, July 3, the IAEA chief was received by senior government officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Jeddi M. Armah; Assistant Minister for International Organizations, Hon. Karishma Pelham-Raad; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo; and representatives from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.

During Friday’s official welcome, Acting Minister Gray emphasized Liberia’s firm commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear technology and praised the IAEA’s longstanding support for national development. “Liberia values the Agency’s technical and policy assistance—not only in regulatory reforms but in interventions that directly touch the lives of our citizens,” she said.

In his remarks, Director General Grossi described the visit as a “historic opportunity to deepen cooperation” and commended Liberia’s proactive engagement in applying nuclear science to solve local development challenges. “When responsibly harnessed, nuclear science becomes a transformative tool—especially in health, food security, water management, and environmental resilience,” Grossi said.

The visit highlights Liberia’s growing engagement with multilateral scientific institutions. In March 2024, then-Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow traveled to Vienna to meet with Grossi and lay the groundwork for expanded technical cooperation. That meeting triggered renewed support from the IAEA in areas such as cancer diagnostics, agricultural innovation, and nuclear safety legislation.

Over the past year, the EPA and relevant line ministries have worked closely with the IAEA to map national priorities for technical assistance, including setting up a radiotherapy facility, adopting nuclear-derived techniques in agriculture, and introducing digital systems for environmental monitoring.

One of the key highlights of Grossi’s current visit is his scheduled tour of IAEA-supported sites, including health infrastructure initiatives aimed at improving cancer screening—particularly for women—and laboratory programs supporting food safety and disease diagnostics. Discussions have also centered on building national capacity for energy infrastructure planning, a critical component of the government’s longer-term vision for sustainable development.

Grossi’s presence in Liberia reaffirms the IAEA’s commitment to empowering member states through science-based solutions. His trip also coincides with Liberia’s recent accession to six international legal instruments that reinforce nuclear safety, emergency response, and radiation protection standards.