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Ladies and Gentlemen,I would like to wish you a warm welcome to the Riksdag!
It is a great honour for me to have the opportunity to introduce today’s guest of honour and main speaker, the President of Liberia Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
When Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in November 2005, she became the first woman ever elected president of an African country.
She became president in a country that had been severely devastated and torn apart by a fourteen year long and bloody civil war that cost a quarter of a million lives.
Ellen Johnsson Sirleaf has made a number of sacrifices herself to get where she is today. When she opposed the military regime of Samuel Doe in the 1980s she was imprisoned before eventually fleeing her country. She returned to Liberia to run for president in 1997 but was forced to exile once more after that.
Apart from playing a leading role in Liberian politics for more than 30 years, also in exile, Mrs Johnson Sirleaf has worked for numerous international institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme.
She has also shown a keen interest in gender equality issues and was a founding member of the International Institute for Women in Political Leadership.
Since the peace agreement in 2003, Liberia has worked resolutely to rebuild the country and to lay the foundations for a peaceful and democratic development.
Today we will hear Ellen Johnsson Sirleaf tell us about this development and about the great challenges that Liberia currently faces. I am sure there are parallels with other post-conflict regions in the world. But also conditions that are quite unique for Liberia.
Sweden has contributed substantially to the reconstruction of and to humanitarian measures in Liberia, both bilaterally and as a member of the EU. In 2007, Sweden has given approximately 100 Million Swedish Crowns million in assistance.
Furthermore, Sweden has contributed to the UN mission (UNMIL). In 2004 - 2006, 230 Swedish soldiers, civil police officers and staff personnel were stationed in Liberia.
One of them was my oldest son. He has taught me a whole lot about Liberia.
And now Madame President, I am very eager to learn more.
Once again, you are most welcome! The floor is yours.