NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire have agreed to establish embassies in each other’s capitals, marking a significant expansion of diplomatic ties between the East and West African nations.
President William Ruto and his Côte d’Ivoire counterpart Alassane Ouattara confirmed the decision following bilateral talks on Sunday, May 10, on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit.
Diplomatic Presence Strengthened
Ouattara announced that Côte d’Ivoire will open an embassy in Nairobi to strengthen its diplomatic footprint in Kenya.
“We agreed to strengthen our diplomatic presence by opening an Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in Kenya,” Ouattara said in a statement.
President Ruto reciprocated, saying Kenya will dispatch its first-ever ambassador to Abidjan.
“Our decision to open an embassy and send the first-ever Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire reflects our shared commitment to deepening bilateral relations and expanding Kenya’s diplomatic presence in West Africa,” Ruto said.
Trade and Investment Focus
The two leaders said their discussions centred on boosting economic and trade cooperation between the two nations.
“We also addressed the prospects for developing economic and trade exchanges between our two nations,” Ouattara said.
President Ruto added: “Our focus is to unlock greater opportunities in trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges for the mutual benefit of our citizens.”
Infrastructure and Continental Cooperation
The presidents also discussed mobilising resources to finance strategic infrastructure projects across Africa.
“I am delighted by our shared commitment to strengthening African cooperation, intensifying inter-regional exchanges, and mobilising more resources to finance the continent’s strategic infrastructure,” Ouattara said.
ICC Candidature
At the multilateral level, President Ruto said he sought Ouattara’s support for Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u, who is vying for a position as Judge of the International Criminal Court.
“At the multilateral level, we agreed to advance our cooperation. I sought President Ouattara’s support for Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u in her candidature for the position of Judge of the International Criminal Court,” President Ruto said.
