After the Republic of Liberia declared independence on 26 July 1847, France was the second, after the United Kingdom, to recognize it as a sovereign nation in 1852.

[1] Joseph Jenkins Roberts spent much of his early terms as Liberian president making state visits to garner recognition for his republic.

He held multiple visits with French President Louis Napoleon III, who ultimately gifted Liberia military equipment and uniforms.

[11] The loan borrowed $1,700,000 for Liberia, with the conditions including that the four countries would be able to each appoint General Receivers of Customs, which limited the powers of the Liberian Secretary of the Treasury.

[12] In 2004, Tim Geysbeek of the journal History in Africa explained that France "exerts tremendous economic and political influence" over Liberia.

[17][18] The current Liberian ambassador to France is Geraldine Bass-Golokeh, who presented her credentials to President Macron on 12 April 2019.