Overview
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Abidjan on the second leg of a three‑nation West Africa tour and held talks with Côte d’Ivoire leaders to deepen defence and anti‑terror cooperation through training and institutional exchanges.
- Jaishankar told ITEC alumni that Côte d’Ivoire has used about 800 ITEC slots over 12 years and that New Delhi has committed 123 defence slots and 100 civilian slots to the country to boost skills and institutional capacity.
- Discussions with Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara and Foreign Minister of State Niale Kaba also covered trade, infrastructure, agriculture and health as part of a broader bilateral partnership.
- India is pairing these bilateral moves with firmer multilateral security messaging at the United Nations, where its delegation has criticised Pakistan’s handling of terrorism issues.
- The outreach builds on the long‑running ITEC programme, launched in 1964, and the Kampala principles that guide India’s demand‑driven Africa policy and signal that future engagement will link capacity building to regional security and multilateral cooperation.