Energy Compact negotiations in Washington : CFPCR-MCC INITIATES A PREPARATORY MEETING WITH THE IVORIAN DELEGATION.

The conference room of the Technical Unit of the Energy Regional Compact Formulation Committee, located at Riviera 4 Cité Terre d’Afrique, hosted on Tuesday June 25, 2024, the preparatory meeting with all stakeholders of the Energy Regional Compact negotiation mission to be held from July 29 to August 2, 2024, at the Millennium Challenge Corporation headquarters in Washington DC.

Initiated by the project’s National Coordination, the meeting was chaired by Mr Issa Tanou FADIGA, National Coordinator of MCC Programs, Advisor to the Presidency on Economic and Financial Affairs, in the presence of Mr ZAHALO Honoré Silué and Mrs Mariam Diakité COULIBALY, respectively Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister and Legal and Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy. Also present were experts from the CFPCR-MCC Technical Unit, and all the stakeholders in the energy sector, namely the Direction Générale de l’Energie, CI-Energies, ANARE-CI and CIE.

Madame Gueye Issié Yvonne, National Coordinator of the CFPCR-MCC, in her address welcomed the Government’s emissaries and all the participants for their effective presence, before presenting the main features of the meeting, which included opening remarks by Mr. SIMSIK Michael, Regional Team Leader of the MCC, the activities of the CFPCR-MCC, the ground rules for the negotiations and the provisional program for the negotiations.

Taking the floor, Mr. Issa Tanou FADIGA, Chairman of the ceremony, congratulated the experts of the Technical Unit for their work, from the formulation of the Energy Compact to the initiative of organizing this meeting, the aim of which is to get to know each other better and speak with one voice during the negotiations in Washington DC for the Ivorian delegation.

As a result, it emerged that aspects of the negotiations relating to Gender and Social Inclusion, Environmental and Social Performance should be further clarified before the negotiations, in order to avoid potential blockages or pitfalls during the exchanges. The meeting ended with the main recommendation being to review as soon as possible the entire official Côte d’Ivoire delegation due to travel to Washington DC, to ensure that it is properly composed and that the various entities are representative.

It is important to note that before flying off to Uncle Sam’s country, the Government is working on the upcoming activities prior to the negotiations, to receive the documents of the PIA and the Compact before July 2 in order to translate them into French for use.