Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), Oct 9 (PTI): India-Cote d’Ivoire partnership is anchored in mutual respect and common commitment to development and prosperity, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as he called on President Alassane Ouattara during his visit to the West African nation.
Jaishankar arrived in Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday from Ghana on the second leg of his three-nation tour of African countries, which also includes Ethiopia.
“Honoured to call on President Alassane Ouattara of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Conveyed personal greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister
@narendramodi,” Jaishankar posted on social media.
“The India-Côte d’Ivoire partnership is anchored in mutual respect and common commitment to development and prosperity,” the EAM said.
He also thanked President Ouattara for “sharing his vision for a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial partnership.”
On Wednesday, the EAM met Cote d’Ivoire’s Vice Prime Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara in Abidjan and discussed the growing defence partnership between the two countries.
“We spoke about our growing defence partnership, underpinned by mutual trust, capacity building and shared interests,” Jaishankar posted on social media after the meeting.
“Exchanged views on opportunities to further our cooperation in defence & anti-terrorism, including through training, capacity building and enhanced institutional exchanges,” he said.
Ouattara, who is also the defence minister of Cote d’Ivoire, said that the discussion with Jaishankar “focused on strengthening cooperation between Cote d’Ivoire and India.”
“This meeting reaffirms our shared commitment to consolidating a strategic partnership in service of peace, security, and development,” Ouattara posted on social media.
Jaishankar also held talks with Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Niale Kaba on strengthening bilateral ties, with a focus on trade, infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.
Jaishankar said he had “comprehensive discussions” with Kaba on advancing India-Cote d’Ivoire partnership, “including in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people ties”.
“Underlined that our people-centric cooperation will be driven by the priorities of Cote d’Ivoire,” he said in a social media post on Wednesday.
The two sides also discussed deepening their engagement in multilateral fora, he said.
He also interacted with ITEC alumni in Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday, and said India’s development partnership has always been central to its engagement with Africa and that India’s cooperation should respond to the demands and priorities of its African partners.
He said the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which started in 1964, has evolved into one of India’s most important platforms for capacity building and engagement with other countries.
Jaishankar also interacted with members of the Indian community in Cote d’Ivoire.
The visit comes as India seeks to deepen its partnerships with African countries, strengthen cooperation with the Global South and expand collaboration in areas ranging from trade and investment to capacity building, defence and healthcare. PTI RD RD
RD
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