Additional Secretary (Central and West Africa) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sevala Naik Mude, held discussions with Ivory Coast’s Minister of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation, Djibril Ouattara, in Abidjan. The talks centered on India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including UPI and Aadhaar, and explored opportunities for bilateral cooperation through the signing of an MoU.
During the meeting, the Ivory Coast Minister expressed interest in learning from India’s digital advancements and implementing similar solutions in his country. Mude also engaged with Bruno Mabagne Kone to discuss enhancing agricultural cooperation by focusing on farm mechanisation, capacity building, improved seed varieties, and agro-processing.
Furthermore, Mude met Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production, Bruno Nabagné Koné, to deliberate on boosting agricultural collaboration, including investment in the agro-processing sector. The discussions highlighted potential areas for cooperation such as agricultural machinery supply and tractor assembly initiatives.
In another meeting, the Indian official interacted with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, Ibrahim Kalil Konate, to explore avenues for deepening bilateral trade and investment. Additionally, Mude met with Yapi Koffi Évariste, Secretary General of the Ministry of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, to strengthen diplomatic ties between India and Cote d’Ivoire.
Lastly, Mude engaged with Tene Birahima Ouattara, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, to discuss enhancing bilateral defence cooperation.
