PRESS RELEASE   WEDNESDAY, 0CTOBER 17, 2007     President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf today paid a visit to the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations in order to become personally familiar with the Mission’s new location at 866 U.N. Plaza in New York City.    Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes and the staff of the Permanent Mission and Consulate General welcomed the President.  Ambassador Barnes assured President Sirleaf of his personal commitment and the commitment of the Mission’s diplomatic staff to the Government’s policy of re-building past relationships and forging new ones in order to encourage Liberia’s international partners to confidently invest in the country.   During her visit President Sirleaf was briefed by representatives from Oxfam, IANSA and Saferworld on the new study entitled: Africa’s Missing Billions: International Arms Flows and the Cost of Conflict  for which President Sirleaf wrote the foreword.     Later, the President commended the staff of the Liberian Mission to the U.N., as well as the staff of the adjacent Consulate General for their service and dedication.  Many of the staff members have served Liberia through extremely difficult times including during the Civil Crises when they had little or no support from home.  These loyal staffers suffered through the indignities of having the electricity and telephone services cut and threats of eviction from their residences.  “Now,” the President said, “we have the opportunity to put things right and to begin to value our Foreign Service Officers as they should be valued.”  The President expressed the desire to have the lines of communication opened so that the diplomatic staff would be kept abreast of initiatives at home in order to better promote Liberia and support investment which will spur the economy.   President Sirleaf was presented an engraved plaque by Mr. James Davis, a prominent Liberian in New York, in recognition of her success in greatly improving Liberia’s international image.  The President received the recognition graciously and said that because of the high esteem so many Liberians have for Mr. Davis, she would always display the plaque prominently.      Click here to view more photos taken during President Sirleaf's visit  to the Mission.