The President of the Islamic Development Bank Group arrived in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, on Wednesday, 26th October 2022, for a 3-day official visit. The main objective of this visit is to strengthen cooperation between the multilateral financial institution and Côte d'Ivoire. During this working visit, discussions primarily centre on the socio-economic development of the host country.

Upon his arrival in Abidjan, the President of the IsDB, H.E. Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, was received by the Minister, Mrs Nialé Kaba, at the Ministry of Planning and Development. Afterwards, the two dignitaries held a joint press conference. On this occasion, were also in attendance other personalities, namely, Mr Salah Mansur (Special Advisor to the IsDB President), Mr Musa Sillah (Director of the IsDB Regional Hub in Dakar), Mr Cheick Oumar Ouattara (IsDB Country Representative), and other senior officials of the Ministry.

The press conference began with a statement by Ms Nialé Kaba, who is also a Governor at the IsDB Group. After welcoming the guest, she recalled that Côte d'Ivoire and the IsDB have always enjoyed excellent relations. She congratulated the institution for its continuing and impactful support since the country joined the organisation in 2002. During the various shocks we experienced recently, be it Covid or be it the (current) food crisis, the Islamic Development Bank has been able to support member countries with instruments adapted to the situation, ... In addition to infrastructure, the IsDB is also making arrangements to assist Côte d'Ivoire further in achieving food security," Ms Nialé Kaba said while acknowledging the support that Côte d'Ivoire has been receiving from the multilateral development institution.

On his part, H.E. Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser first appreciated the Ivorian authorities for their warm welcome to the IsDB delegation. He stressed that Côte d'Ivoire is an active and vital member of the Islamic Development Bank and other IsDB agencies.

He also expressed satisfaction with the number of projects to date (56) covering various socio-economic sectors. Reiterating the priority given to the impact of IsDB interventions, the IsDB President stressed that: "We are in the field of development. We want to have an impact! ...we visit (member) countries, listen to them, sit with them and share their pains, concerns, and aspirations." In the end, he congratulated the Minister for her constructive engagement in implementing the Ivorian government's development agenda.

H.E. Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser subsequently had two other high-level meetings. He was received by the Prime Minister, Mr Patrick Achi, and the Vice-President, Mr Tiémoko Meyliet Koné. The various discussions revolved around the appraisal of the bilateral cooperation between the IsDB group and Côte d'Ivoire as well as the exploration of potential areas of partnership in connection with the IsDB's new strategy.

Two new projects were also announced for implementation in 2023, which IsDB will be financing to the tune of US$ 500 million. This funding includes US$120 million for the development programme of the regional rice value chain and US$380 million for the construction project of the Bouaké-Kanawolo highway project.

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