The Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Sri Lanka HE Eric Camille N’dry met with the Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Mr. Vish Govindasamy and the Chamber Secretariat on February 6, 2023.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the CCC and the Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-CI) to facilitate the support of trade, commerce and investment between the two countries. Addressing the gathering of a chamber membership present, the Chairman of the CCC Mr. Govindasamy welcomed the ambassador and the team from Côte d’Ivoire and pledged the support of the Chamber to foster business between the members of both Chambers. In the Ambassador’s speech he impressed upon the gathering the positive impression he had gained of Sri Lanka in his short time on the Island.
The Ambassador invited Sri Lankan businesses to consider investment in Côte d Ivoire and via them to reach the rest of the Africa. He went on to explain about the Free Trade Agreements in place between Côte d’Ivoire and the African sub-continent, EU and the US. Agricultural processing, value addition to rubber, tourism and tourism training, construction, IT and AI were identified as areas of potential collaboration.
After the signing of the MOU, detailed business discussions were held with CCC members present. Many members expressed strong interest in establishing trading relationships with the Ivory Coast.
The Commercial Consular for Côte d Ivoire Embassy Mr. Akaffou and the Honorary Consul Mr. Sheran Fernando undertook to initiate a detailed discussion with the businessmen who expressed interest in exploring commercial relationships in the Ivory Coast and undertook to organise trade delegations between both countries within 2023.