Liberia Strengthens Ties with Barbados as Ambassador Presents Letter of Credence

MONROVIA, LIBERIA: Liberia’s Foreign Minister, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, made another diplomatic stride today April 29, 2025 as she officially received Barbados’s Ambassador to Liberia, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, during a formal ceremony at the Executive Mansion.

Ambassador Juliette Bynoe Sutherland presented her Letter of Credence to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, marking the formal start of her diplomatic assignment in Liberia.

Foreign Minister Nyanti personally escorted the Ambassador to the President’s office, where President Boakai warmly welcomed her and accepted the letter.

“This moment represents more than formality it is a reaffirmation of the historic and enduring relationship between Liberia and Barbados,” President Boakai noted.

Liberia and Barbados share a deep rooted connection dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, reflecting centuries of cultural and historical ties between the two nations.

The presentation ceremony marks a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, with both countries expressing hopes for strengthened diplomatic, cultural, and economic partnerships.

Liberia and Barbados share a historical connection rooted in the broader context of the African diaspora, colonization, and the back to Africa movements of the 19th century. While they are on different continents Liberia in West Africa and Barbados in the Caribbean their ties stem from cultural, ideological, and migratory exchanges.

Liberia was founded in the early 19th century by the American Colonization Society (ACS) as a settlement for freed African Americans.

While most early settlers came from the United States, there were also small numbers of free Black people from the Caribbean including Barbados who emigrated to Liberia during the 1800s.

Barbadian emigrants, like others from the Caribbean, were often educated, Christianized, and skilled, and they contributed significantly to Liberia’s early social and political development.

Both Barbados and Liberia were heavily influenced by Protestant Christianity, particularly Methodism and other evangelical denominations, which shaped their educational and religious institutions.

Some Liberian churches and schools were modeled after those in the Caribbean.