External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has highlighted the importance of mutual respect and a shared commitment to development and prosperity in India’s partnership with Côte d’Ivoire during his meeting with the West African country’s President, Alassane Ouattara.
 

Jaishankar met Ouattara during his visit to Côte d’Ivoire, the second stop on his three-nation tour of Africa. He arrived from Ghana on Wednesday before proceeding to Ethiopia.
 

In a social media post, the external affairs minister said he was honoured to meet the Ivorian president and personally convey greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 

Jaishankar described the relationship between India and Côte d’Ivoire as a partnership founded on mutual respect and a shared commitment to development and prosperity. He also thanked Ouattara for sharing his vision of a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.
 

India and Côte d’Ivoire Discuss Defence Cooperation
 

During his visit to Abidjan on Wednesday, Jaishankar also met Côte d’Ivoire’s Deputy Prime Minister, Téné Birahima Ouattara, who is also the country’s defence minister.
 

The discussions focused on the growing defence partnership between the two nations, with an emphasis on mutual trust, capacity building and shared interests.
 

Jaishankar said both sides explored opportunities to expand cooperation in defence and counterterrorism through training, capacity building and increased institutional exchanges.
 

Following the meeting, Téné Birahima Ouattara said the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between India and Côte d’Ivoire. He added that the meeting reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening the strategic partnership in support of peace, security and development.
 

Trade, Infrastructure and Healthcare in Focus
 

Jaishankar also held talks with Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nialé Kaba, on ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
 

The discussions covered a range of areas, including trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges.
 

Jaishankar said the two sides agreed that their people-centred cooperation would continue to reflect Côte d’Ivoire’s priorities. They also discussed ways to deepen engagement through multilateral forums.
 

The meetings form part of India’s broader efforts to expand economic and diplomatic cooperation with African countries across key sectors.
 

Jaishankar Highlights India’s Development Partnership with Africa
 

During an interaction with former participants of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday, Jaishankar said development cooperation had long been a central pillar of India’s relationship with Africa.
 

He emphasised that India’s assistance should be aligned with the needs and priorities of its African partner countries.
 

Launched in 1964, the ITEC programme has developed into one of India’s key platforms for capacity building and cooperation with other countries.
 

Jaishankar also interacted with members of the Indian community in Côte d’Ivoire during his visit.
 

India Seeks to Deepen Engagement with Africa
 

The visit comes as India continues efforts to strengthen its partnerships with African nations and expand cooperation with the Global South.
 

Key areas of engagement include trade, investment, capacity building, defence and healthcare. The term “Global South” is commonly used to refer to economically less-developed countries.
 

Jaishankar’s meetings in Côte d’Ivoire underline India’s focus on building long-term partnerships with African countries through mutual respect, shared development priorities and cooperation across strategic and economic sectors.