PARIS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At a meeting with the newly-elected visiting Liberian President George Weah, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a 10-million-euro (12.31 million U.S dollar) grant to help support development in West Africa's poorest country.
"So far, we have not done much for Liberia...In this perspective, we wish to change things," Macron said.
Macron pledged 10 million euros to help Weah's government, "whose election opens a new era for Liberia," to improve youth training and employment, develop infrastructure and raw material processing.
At a joint press meeting with Weah, the French head of state told the retired soccer player he would also create a "platform for transformation through sport in Africa" which will be headed by the French Development Agency and the African Development Bank.
"We have targeted 15 million euros at this stage," the French president said, adding that the goal was for as many states as possible to be involved.
In his first visit to France since his election as Liberia's new president, Weah, considered one of the greatest African football players, stressed the role of sport in contributing to African countries' development.
"I became President of Liberia through sport," said the former striker of PSG and Monaco.
The ballon d'or winner also called on France to help "an economy still suffering from the terrible Ebola epidemic" and a country "rich in natural resources that have never been put to the service of the people."
"The presence of France in Liberia must be at the same level as in Ivory Coast or Guinea because I know what the French are able to do in terms of development," Weah said Tuesday at a meeting with students of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris. (1 euro = 1.23 U.S. dollars)
