This year marks the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, the true and sincere policy towards Africa and the correct concept of righteousness and benefit. In order to further implement the theme spirit of the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and deepen high-level exchanges and dialogue between the group and African countries, Cai Dianwei led a delegation of Hunan Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd. (HCIG) to visit the Prime Minister’s Office of Côte d’Ivoire on the morning of July 24.
 

The two sides exchanged views on cooperation in such fields as economic and trade exchanges, investment and business development, and industrial and trade integration, and reached a consensus on all-round cooperation. Koffi Georges BOLAMO, director of the Prime Minister’s Office of Côte d’Ivoire, attended the symposium with the national planning researchers from the Prime Minister’s Office. Moreover, Sun Guoqiang, executive secretary general of China-Africa Economic and Trade Promotion Council, also took part in the symposium.
 
Koffi Georges BOLAMO extended a warm welcome to the delegation o HCIG and introduced the current economic and social development of Côte d’Ivoire in detail. He noted that agriculture is the basis of Côte d’Ivoire’s national economy, with 49 per cent of the country’s workforce employed in agriculture.

The export of primary agricultural products such as cocoa, cashews, cotton, rubber and palm oil is the main source of income for Côte d’Ivoire’s national economy. However, the low added value of agricultural exports has greatly affected export earnings.
 

In recent years, China has attached great importance to its cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire. The two sides have conducted increasingly close economic and trade exchanges, while enhancing friendship. They have carried out extensive cooperation in the field of agricultural product processing, which has achieved good results.

It made him deeply moved that HCIG sent such a high-level team to visit Côte d’Ivoire this time. He hopes that the two sides can give full play to their respective advantages, further strengthen communication in agricultural product processing trade, infrastructure construction and other aspects, accelerate the pace of cooperation, and strive for “common development and shared future”.
 
At the symposium, Cai Dianwei first mentioned that the settlement of the two major platforms in Hunan such as the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the leading area for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa greatly enhanced Hunan’s enthusiasm for cooperation with Africa. He then introduced in detail the development of the group’s overseas business and the implementation of municipal, sewage treatment, agricultural products processing plants and other projects in Côte d’Ivoire. Moreover, he said that HCIG will deeply expand Côte d’Ivoire’s market in three aspects.
 
First, the group will strengthen its cooperation with others in multiple fields. Taking the construction of the agricultural products processing plant in Côte d’Ivoire as an opportunity, the group will make full use of the Hunan-Africa cooperation platforms, integrate resources of all parties, and carry out project construction in Côte d’Ivoire with other enterprises.
 
Second, the group will deepen exchanges and innovate cooperation models. Côte d’Ivoire is a hot land for development and investment with huge space for development and market potential. Under the guidance of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2021-2025 development plan and 2030 development vision, the group will strengthen its contact with relevant responsible persons of local economic development projects and cultivate new highlights of economic and trade cooperation.
 
Third, the group will provide comprehensive support to promote the implementation of projects. The group has been operating in Côte d’Ivoire for 30 years, deeply feeling the traditional friendship and deep affection of the local people. It is expected that the Prime Minister’s Office can, as always, provide all-round support and help for the planning, promotion and implementation of the group’s projects in the future, so that the mutually beneficial cooperation model can be replicated and promoted.
 
The group and the Côte d’Ivoire government have enhanced mutual understanding and trust through this exchange, laying a solid foundation for promoting the group’s sustainable development and friendly cooperation in Côte d’Ivoire’s market.