YAMOUSSOUKRO, Côte d’ Ivoire – With the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation and enhancing relations between the two countries, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias carried out the first visit by a Greek foreign minister to the Republic of Côte d’ Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, as part of a three-day tour of West Africa. Speaking before a working lunch on Wednesday with Ivorian Foreign Minister Kandia Camara in Abidjan, the country’s largest city, Dendias expressed his belief that relations between Greece and Côte d’ Ivoire can be further developed and underlined Greece’s readiness to take specific steps to strengthen them.

“Our geographic proximity and the interrelated challenges such as migration, terrorism, the need for economic growth, the need for creating a better life for our citizens make Côte d’Ivoire a very important partner for us,” he noted.

The minister underlined the fact that Ivory Coast is a member of the Friends of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) group, where he saw a broad field for cooperation. “For Greece, International Law and International Law of the Sea is the holy gospel, the sacred book of our foreign policy. And we are happy to discuss and work with countries and leaders that have the same approach we have. We are looking forward to exchanging opinions and ideas on this cooperation,” explained Dendias.

At the same time, he noted that Ivory Coast is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and said that Greece was interested in examining potential investment opportunities in Ivory Coast. The foreign minister pointed out that Greece has significant experience in tourism, construction, both in urban and rural projects, in the production of advanced building materials, in energy production, especially from renewables, water and waste management, information and telecommunications technology and health services. In this context, he expressed his confidence that the two countries can “create the circumstances in which our business communities could work together and create successful projects”.