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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release August 1, 1997

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

U.S. Delegation to the Presidential Inauguration in Liberia

The President has asked Representative Donald Payne to lead a Presidential Delegation, including Representatives John Conyers and Cynthia McKinney, to the Presidential Inauguration in Liberia on August 2, 1997. Special Presidential Envoy Howard Jeter, Mr. Chip Carter of the Carter Center and U.S. Chief of Mission William Milam, currently in Monrovia, will also serve as delegation members.

This delegation is representative of the high regard in which we hold the Liberian people for conducting free, peaceful, and transparent elections under extremely difficult circumstances. The United States is committed to working with the new government and the Liberian people to rebuild a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society.

We commend the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States and its peacekeeping force ECOMOG and the international community for their cooperative efforts in support of the elections and the Liberian people.

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