On Thursday 25 April, the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, underlined the “excellent, multifaceted cooperation relations” that have linked his country and the EU for decades.
At a press briefing with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in Abidjan, Mr Ouattara stressed his country’s “important and privileged ties” with the EU.
The Ivorian President highlighted the “economic and commercial vitality” of the relationship between Côte d’Ivoire and the EU, its leading trading partner and biggest investor. He pointed to the “issues of common interest”, including “the need to maintain and strengthen the vitality of economic cooperation”, as well as the issue of illegal migration and the need to strengthen mechanisms and measures to combat illegal migration.
According to Mr Michel, the EU and Côte d’Ivoire have “a common interest in ensuring that it is African and European political leaders, together, who decide who is in a situation to go to the European side or vice versa”. “We must therefore offer channels for legal migration and work together against criminal groups”, he added.
The two presidents also discussed the fight against climate change and the challenges it poses, from the energy situation to deforestation, explained Mr Michel.
The fight against terrorism was discussed as well. The President of the European Council recalled that the EU had mobilised €570 million for the member countries of the Accra initiative over the last four years. He announced that next week the Member States are expected to approve additional support for Côte d’Ivoire to enable the acquisition of equipment to combat terrorism, such as drones, vehicles and equipment to gather information and intelligence.
Finally, the two Presidents discussed the international situation, including the Sahel, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in Gaza and the Middle East. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)