Off the wire
• Egypt hosts UNESCO-Arab initiative to protect heritage against extremists  • New application allows Albanian citizens to report crime online with smartphones  • African Union might miss Dec deadline to establish standby force: official  • Chicago agricultural commodities close up slightly  • Rightist, left-wing parties name their candidates for Latvian presidency  • Feature: Net metaphor brings visitors into Brazil heart at Expo Milano  • Shadow economy in Latvia slightly changed in 2014  • 1st LD Writethru: U.S. dollar drops on weak data  • U.S. urges end to violence in Burundi amid coup attempt  • African Union might miss Dec deadline to establish standby force: official  
You are here: 　 Home

Mozambique and Cote d'Ivoire to open diplomatic chapter

Xinhua, May 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Mozambique and Cote d'Ivoire are to establish diplomatic relations for the first time since the former Portuguese colony achieved independence in 1975, according to Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Oldemiro Baloi, on Wednesday.

Baloi said that the Maputo administration would like to cooperate with many countries in Africa in many social and economic areas. According to Baloi, who spoke to Xinhua, the President of Cote d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouatara, invited his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyusi, to tour his country.

The invitation was brought to the Mozambican capital Maputo on Tuesday by Cote d'Ivoire's Planning and Development Minister, Mabri Toikeuse. Baloi said that during his visit, Nyusi and Ouatara will discuss friendship and economic relations between the two nations.

The Ivorians would like to cooperate with Mozambique in the areas of hydrocarborns, agriculture and trade. At the moment, there is not much in terms of cooperation between the two African nations, both members of the African Union. But they will have a strong diplomatic relations between the two very soon, according to Baloi.

During his tour, Nyusi will attend the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the bank's 50th celebrations. Mozambique enjoys financial support from the bank.

"We would like Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi and his delegation to attend the meeting towards the end of this month and seize that opportunity to discuss cooperation, particularly on natural resources," Toikeuse told reporters after meeting Mozambican Foreign Minister Baloi on Tuesday.

Baloi expressed his government's gratitude for the invitation and promised that Mozambique would be represented at both ceremonies at the most appropriate level. Endi