A/Abidjan/Fulbert Yao
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has called on Portuguese businessmen to invest heavily in Ivory Coast.
The Ivorian president spoke on Thursday evening in Abidjan, during a dinner hosted in honor of Portuguese President Marcelo de Sousa, who is on a state visit to Côte d'Ivoire from June 12 to 14.
Addressing the Portuguese businessmen who accompanied the presidential delegation, Ouattara stressed that Côte d'Ivoire offers a very attractive business environment and has a modern and high-quality infrastructure that allows access to the markets of the West African Economic and Monetary Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community of Western African States).
The Ivorian president urged Portuguese businessmen to invest in the processing of agricultural raw materials, especially cocoa and cashew nuts, fruit production, infrastructure and the tourism sector.
He also stressed the resumption of almost daily flights between Lisbon and Abidjan, the presence of large groups and the hope of welcoming many others, as well as the forthcoming reopening of the Portuguese embassy in Abidjan and the important project that must be established for the first time. The time I spent in a non-Portuguese-speaking country, the Abidjan Football Academy, are all measures that will strengthen relations between the two countries.
For his part, President Marcelo de Sousa announced the opening of an embassy in Abidjan.
“Friendship requires symbolic steps. After the consulate, we will open an embassy here. It is important that our two countries win together,” he said.
He pointed out that Portugal, which has a long history of friendship with Côte d'Ivoire, aims to improve its trade volume with the country.
De Sousa added that Portugal also aims to help illustrate the progress made by Côte d'Ivoire and support it in its quest for peace, democracy and security.
On Thursday, the two countries signed four cooperation agreements related to the mutual encouragement and protection of investments, sanitation, solid waste recovery, tourism training and vocational training.
According to his visit program, the Portuguese president is expected to leave Abidjan late Friday afternoon after visiting the Felix Houphouet-Boigny University where he will be awarded the title of “Honorary Doctor” and the waste transfer and integration center in Anjededo – Yopougon municipality (north of Abidjan) managed by a Portuguese company.
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