She said MRU countries should consider a set of strategies and operational plans designed recently by MRU Agriculture Ministers to tackle this emerging challenge.

The President said MRU countries must also look at the issue of poverty eradication from a collective and holistic approach.

The Liberian leader spoke Thursday when she addressed the opening of a one-day MRU meeting held at the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia.

The one-day forum was attended by leaders from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and La Cote d'Ivoire who was yesterday admitted into the subregional body.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the United Nations, ECOWAS and other international bodies.

"We are called upon to take a closer look at their report and embark upon a plan of action to address this emerging challenge. Let us focus on results oriented strategy - on outputs, on effective responses to the new global imperatives. We must together confront the emerging food crisis by focusing on rice production," the Liberian President added.

She urged leaders of the Union to ensure that peace and stability prevail in the region, and noted that it requires harmonized strategies and regular interactions among security agencies of their respective countries which must ensure that boundaries remain safe and free from any subversive activities.

President Sirleaf spoke about serious unemployment in the region, and challenged the body to find ways to create viable jobs for the growing youthful population of their respective countries.

"I strongly believe that sub-regional cooperation is the best strategy to provide the required adequate response to these challenges and we see the Mano River Union as a viable framework for the consolidation of peace, security and development," the Liberian President added.

She welcomed the entry of La Cote d' Ivoire into the MRU, and noted that the expansion of the union was important to bridge the long standing communication gap existing within the Union by ensuring that both languages are incorporated in the curriculum of their respective School systems.

"Our gathering marks an important milestone in the history of the Mano River Union. With the restoration of peace, we can now chart a desired course for the political, social and economic development of our sub-region; a course that takes us beyond those achievements made prior to our civil conflict," she maintained.

She regretted the devastating civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and the attendant effects on Guinea which undermined development in the region.

President Sirleaf: "Today, we have an opportunity to retrace our steps, pick up the pieces and move beyond those past achievements. There is need to revisit past initiatives and past programs unfulfilled, within the context of emerging challenges that must claim our fullest and collective attention."