U.S. Signs Open Skies Aviation Agreement with Liberia

The agreement was reached after January 2007 talks between a Liberian delegation, led by Liberia Civil Aviation Authority Director General Richelieu Williams, and a U.S. delegation chaired by State's Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs that included officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is visiting the United States, and has met with President Bush and Secretary Rice to discuss a broad range of bilateral issues, focusing in large part on Liberia's economic development. The Open Skies agreement is one part of a substantial package of economic cooperation initiatives with Liberia announced during President Johnson-Sirleaf's visit. We are pleased to have reached this important agreement, which, as Secretary Rice remarked, "will deepen the connection between our people our businesses, and our economies."

The agreement with Liberia will significantly modernize U.S.-Liberia aviation relations by allowing airlines from the two countries to make commercial decisions with minimal government intervention. It will provide for open routes, capacity, frequencies, designations, and pricing, as well as cooperative marketing arrangements, including code-sharing.

The United States has concluded Open Skies agreements with more than 75 countries and territories.

Questions concerning this agreement may be directed to Mr. Joel Reifman, Deputy Director, Office of Aviation Negotiations, U.S. Department of State, phone: 202-647-9797.