MONROVIA, April 12 (LINA) - Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Isaac Jackson, has assured a three-man visiting CODEPA delegation of government’s preparedness to cooperate with the body in promoting the fishery and tourism sectors.

CODEPA is a regional organization with focus on improving the fishery and tourism sectors of African countries.

Deputy Minister Jackson gave the assurance Thursday when he and other officials of the Ministry, including Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services Robert Kpedeh and Assistant Minister for Tourism Madam Lynn George-Cassell, received an official document on CODEPA's activities in the African region.

Minister Jackson also assured the CODEPA delegation that Liberia will become part of the organization and will also cooperate and coordinate with Guinea to boost tourism in both countries.

Speaking earlier, CODEPA head of delegation and Minister of Fishery in Guinea, Hody Conde, said they were in Liberia to create awareness about CODEPA and to also encourage Liberia to join the organization.

Also speaking, the Secretary General of CODEPA, Sie Theophile, who gave the background of the organization, said it is hoped that Liberia will participate in this year’s CODEPA conference slated to take place in Malaysia.

He disclosed that out of the 26 countries in the sub-region, only 11 are members of the organization, noting that Guinea was elected head of the regional organization in 2013.

He thanked Liberia for the participatory role it played when the CODEPA guidelines was formally adopted in 1998 and stressed the importance of other countries in the sub-region taking up membership with the organization.

The delegation was accompanied to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) by the Guinean Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Alhaji Abdulaye Dore.
LINA EDM/TSS/PTK