Ivory Coast Ambassador During His Meeting with Ali Al-Abdallah AMACO Group Chairman: Developing Common Relations with Lebanon is a Top Priority
Beirut, June 15, 2024 - The Ambassador of Ivory Coast in Lebanon, Christophe Kouakou, stated that developing relations with Lebanon is a top priority for the embassy, emphasizing the deep connections between the Lebanese community and Ivory Coast since the late 19th century. Ambassador Kouakou added during his meeting with the Chairman of Amaco Group, Ali Mahmoud Al-Abdallah, that the Lebanese in Ivory Coast are practical, widely engaged, and warmly welcomed, becoming an integral part of the country's fabric.
Ambassador Kouakou further mentioned that Ivory Coast welcomes the Lebanese who have always succeeded in various fields in which they have invested and accumulated expertise. He invited the Lebanese to develop economic relations between the two friendly countries, assuring that he is making all necessary efforts to enhance investment in his country through the Lebanese who possess unique ideas for achieving economic growth, especially in the private sector. He expressed his country's willingness to take all necessary steps to enhance investment in Ivory Coast.
For his part, Al-Abdallah thanked Ambassador Kouakou for the meeting and said, "We look forward to strengthening Lebanese relations with Ivory Coast, a friendly country that has welcomed the Lebanese who escaped wars, tragedies, and economic crises for 130 years. In this friendly country, the Lebanese found safety, stability, growth, and prosperity, focusing on developing businesses and trade, believing in this precious country that embraced them and granted them all the reasons for success. Today, Ambassador Kouakou plays a crucial role in strengthening economic relations between the two countries, and I am here to emphasize the importance of Ambassador Kouakou's efforts and working together to enhance mutual relations."
He added, "Ivory Coast is a promising country with continuous growth, especially after launching programs to enhance investment, human resources, and infrastructure development such as roads, communication networks, and ports, as well as improving sectors like petroleum, electricity, water, transportation, and agriculture, particularly as Ivory Coast is the world's leading producer of cocoa relying on private sector investments. For instance, the Port of Abidjan is one of the most active and modern ports in West Africa. All Lebanese have long known that Ivory Coast is a friendly and hospitable country that welcomes the Lebanese. The city of Abidjan is one of the cities that witnesses the concentration of the Lebanese community and their activities for a long time, as they have thousands of businesses such as factories, hospitals, medical clinics, hotels, restaurants, and various economic institutions. According to some references, Lebanese migration to Ivory Coast began at the end of the 19th century. They have shown their love for this hospitable country and contributed to the development of professional and cultural life, successfully forming an important part of the local social fabric."
He concluded, "According to some reports, the Lebanese in Ivory Coast constitute the largest Lebanese community in West Africa, with their number exceeding 60,000 according to some statistics, and possibly more. They play a positive role in all fields in which they are active. I am confident that developing relations with the Lebanese community will benefit both Ivory Coast and Lebanon simultaneously."
