On Monday, May 26, H.E. Steven Collet, Dutch Vice-Minister for International Cooperation, visited Abidjan for the official bilateral consultations held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire. He was accompanied by H.E. Jeroen Kelderhuis, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Côte d’Ivoire.

The opening session took place in the presence of Mrs. Dieket née Sangonoko, Director General of Bilateral Relations, the Director for Europe, and representatives from several key ministries: Agriculture, Interior & Security, Planning, Economy, and Environment.

These consultations served to strengthen a frank and constructive political dialogue around shared priorities: regional stability, climate, sustainable agriculture, food security, water management, migration, and youth empowerment. Together, the parties identified concrete opportunities to deepen their partnership.

The closing of the meeting was marked by a symbolic moment: the Vice-Minister presented the very first copy of a unique publication retracing more than a century of relations between Côte d’Ivoire and the Netherlands — a shared history that goes as far back as the origin of the name “Côte d’Ivoire” itself. This publication, an initiative of the embassy, was written by an independent journalist.

A forward-looking cooperation, rooted in a strong and enduring history.