Jaishankar in Cote d’Ivoire: India Deepens Defence and Anti-Terror Ties
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Cote d’Ivoire leaders on defence, counter-terrorism and economic cooperation as India expands its engagement with Africa.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held high-level talks in Abidjan to strengthen India’s partnership with Cote d’Ivoire, with defence cooperation and counter-terrorism emerging as key areas of discussion.
During his meeting with Cote d’Ivoire’s Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara, Jaishankar discussed expanding defence ties through training, capacity building and institutional exchanges. Both sides also explored ways to deepen cooperation on security and counter-terrorism.
Jaishankar separately met Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Niale Kaba, with discussions covering trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people links. The two sides also discussed closer coordination in multilateral forums.
The visit included an interaction with ITEC alumni from Cote d’Ivoire, highlighting India’s technical and capacity-building programmes. Jaishankar said such initiatives are designed around the priorities of partner countries while also strengthening ties between their people.
He also met members of the Indian community in Abidjan and highlighted developments in India and New Delhi’s engagement with African nations.
The Cote d’Ivoire visit is the second leg of Jaishankar’s three-nation African tour, following his engagements in Ghana. He is scheduled to travel to Ethiopia next, where he will hold diplomatic meetings and chair a Regional Heads of Mission Conference.
The outreach reflects India’s broader effort to deepen partnerships across Africa, particularly in defence, development and capacity building, while strengthening its engagement with the Global South.
