Agreements and Conventions

Several cooperation agreements have been signed between Côte d'Ivoire and France in various fields. These include, among others:

In the Economic and Financial Sector:

• Ratification of the Credit Agreement No. CCI 1665 01 M, amounting to thirty million (30,000,000) Euros, or nineteen billion six hundred seventy-eight million (19,678,000,000) CFA francs, signed on August 2, 2019, between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, to fund budget support for the education sector, on December 4, 2019.

• Signature of a Financial Support Agreement for 1.4 billion Euros to complete the financing of the Abidjan Metro on June 11, 2017.

• Signature of six (06) cooperation agreements on July 17, 2014, during the official visit of French President François Hollande to Abidjan.

• Signature of an Agreement for the financing of water supply projects in the Gagnoa region, amounting to 34 billion CFA francs.

• Signature of a contract for the re-equipment of Ivorian hospitals, worth 8 billion CFA francs.

• Signature of a memorandum of understanding between the two states for the construction of an artwork valued at 7.8 billion CFA francs.

• Signature of a contract between the Ivorian state and Bivac-Véritas.

• Signature of a partnership agreement between the School of Higher Commercial Studies (HEC) and the Ivorian employers' organization.

• Signature of an agreement to support the judiciary within the framework of the Debt Reduction and Development Contract (C2D).

• The first C2D contract was concluded between France and Côte d'Ivoire on December 1, 2012. Worth 413.25 billion CFA francs (630 million euros), it was implemented between 2012 and 2015, with annual installments: 19.7 billion CFA francs in 2012, 98.4 billion CFA francs in 2013, and 147.6 billion CFA francs each year in 2014 and 2015. The second Debt Reduction and Development Contract was signed on December 3, 2014, for 738 billion CFA francs, covering the period from 2015 to 2020.

• On June 1, 2012, an agreement was signed for the cancellation of 99% of Côte d'Ivoire’s debt stock, amounting to approximately 2,098.7 billion CFA francs. Of this, 2,085.3 billion CFA francs were canceled, which included an immediate cancellation of 600 billion CFA francs and a gradual cancellation of 1,486 billion CFA francs through conversion into a Debt Reduction and Development Contract (C2D). The final amount under C2D was approximately 1,900 billion CFA francs.

• Signature of an Economic, Monetary, and Financial Cooperation Agreement on April 5, 1962. Since December 1959, a convention exists between the French Treasury and the Ivorian Treasury, covering reciprocal assistance and cooperation in organizing and operating the Treasury services.

• French companies' turnover represents 30% of Côte d'Ivoire’s GDP.

In the Technical Sector:

• From December 20 to 22, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Côte d'Ivoire, and 12 agreements covering various areas (political, economic, and security) were signed. These agreements included sectors such as health, defense, military training (with the International Academy for Counter-Terrorism), and large infrastructure projects like the future Abidjan Metro, designed to address urban mobility challenges in Abidjan.

• During this visit, the first stone was laid for the construction of the Grand Market in Bouaké (central Côte d'Ivoire). This market, built on a 9-hectare area, will accommodate 8,000 traders. The cost of construction, estimated at 60 million euros, is financed by a sovereign loan from France through the French Development Agency (AFD), with work scheduled to take 27 months.

• On December 16, 2019, the official launch of the Rural Territory Economic and Ecological Development Support Project (Project Ecoter) took place. This project, amounting to 23 billion CFA francs (about 35 million euros) and funded by France, aims to significantly contribute to local development and poverty reduction in Côte d'Ivoire, improving living conditions in eight targeted regions: Bafing, Béré, Bounkani, Cavally, Gontougo, Guémon, Tonkpi, and Worodougou. This project is part of the second Debt Reduction and Development Contract (C2D) signed between France and Côte d'Ivoire on December 3, 2014.

Military Cooperation:

• France and Côte d'Ivoire cooperate militarily in the fight against terrorism in West Africa. Paris supported Abidjan for its non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council for the 2018-2019 term.

• In the field of defense and security, France donated military equipment to the Ivorian Armed Forces (FACI) worth 40 million CFA francs. This donation aims to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Ivorian military, especially for its participation in peacekeeping operations in foreign theaters.

• The city of Jacqueville was chosen to host the International Academy for Counter-Terrorism.

• Agreement establishing the French Forces Military Base in Côte d'Ivoire.