APA-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) – The First Bilateral Public-Private
Economic Cooperation Forum between Côte d’Ivoire and Central Africa
opened this Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Abidjan, with government
officials and economic operators in attendance.
For this first edition of the Public-Private Sector Cooperation Forum in Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic are the featured countries.
Over three days of discussions, private and public sector stakeholders will discuss business and trade
opportunities.
Côte d’Ivoire’s ambassador to Cameroon, Fulbert Kouassi, the initiator of this Bilateral Economic Cooperation Forum, stated that this platform is in line with the Ivorian government’s vision to make the private sector the driving force of the country’s economic growth. It is also a matter of intensifying South-South cooperation, addressing regional integration issues, sharing experiences, and dismantling tariff barriers to facilitate trade within the AfCFTA, he stated.
At the opening of this bilateral economic cooperation forum, the Ivorian Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Sidi Touré, who chaired the session, welcomed the presence of African multinationals operating in these different countries.
The representative of the Chadian delegation, the Minister of Trade and Livestock, also welcomed this bilateral economic cooperation forum, which “improves intra-African trade and encourages local
processing” of raw materials.
This space for exchange helps “avoid the risks associated with excessive dependence,” he argued, calling on the private sector to play its role and comply with the requirements of the international
market.
Furthermore, states must streamline administrative and trade procedures in this context. Cameroon’s Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Marie Yvette Koloko, emphasised the need to remove tariff barriers on the continent to encourage companies to operate within the AfCFTA area, which will strengthen this regional market. Trade between Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon stood at 73.9 billion CFA francs in 2024, compared to 212 billion CFA francs in 2023.
The volume of trade between Côte d’Ivoire and Chad fell to 8 billion CFA francs in 2022,
compared to 6.6 billion CFA francs in 2021.
Côte d’Ivoire recorded a decline in trade with the Central African Republic, from 3.042 billion CFA francs in 2018 to 3.34 billion CFA francs in 2017. The two friendly countries established diplomatic
relations in December 1964.
As part of the revitalisation of Côte d’Ivoire’s economic relations, the Ivorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Ivorians Living Abroad, Leon Kacou Adom, decided to organise this
bilateral economic cooperation forum.
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