By Hajaratu Kalokoh
Officials from the governments of Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire have vowed to work on deepening ties between the two countries in the area of aviation and other sectors. They made the commitment during the official re-launch of Air Cote d’Ivoire’s operation in Sierra Leone.
At a cocktail ceremony at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel on Friday, officials from both governments highlighted the numerous areas of cooperation they can work on.
Minister of Women, Family and Children of Cote d’Ivoire, Ramata Ly Bakayoko, who headed a delegation from Cote d’Ivoire, said the resumption of Air Cote d Ivoire’s operation in Sierra Leone is part of a broader vision of cooperation between the two countries.
"Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone are countries with a tradition of friendship and respect towards each other, which has led to a long-standing cooperation on many fronts, which of course we intend to strengthen," she said via an interpreter.
Air Cote d’Ivoire, which is the national carrier of Cote d’Ivoire, first started flying to Freetown in 2012, before halting its services in 2018 in protest against a controversial court ruling in a case brought against the airline by an aggrieved passenger.
Madam Bakayoko said both countries can tap into a lot of other opportunities that could potentially generate wealth for their economies.
"We intend to enhance our cooperation by focusing on several sectors of activities such as agriculture, education, energy, infrastructure, etc.. This cooperation which is necessary and desired by His Excellency Mr. President Alassane Ouattara and His Excellency Mr. President Julius Maada Bio is obviously illustrated by the resumption of air links between Cote d‘Ivoire and Sierra Leone by Air Cote d'Ivoire," she added.
Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, who represented the Sierra Leone government alongside several other government ministers, noted that the resumption of the Air Cote d’Ivoir flight in Sierra Leone was a mark of shared Pan-African dream.
"And for them (Presidents Bio and Outtara) the re-launch of Air Cote d’Ivoire was not just about Air transportation making a significant contribution to economic growth and development, but it was really about achieving the ideal of Pan Africanism that can bring our people together through air transportation," he said
Chief Executive Officer, Air Cote d’Ivoire, Rene Decurey, said the airline will now connect Sierra Leone to 15 other countries in West and Central Africa every week.
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