Sisi, the first Egyptian president to visit Cote d'Ivoire: SIS

CAIRO – 10 April 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is the first Egyptian president to visit Cote d'Ivoire, according to a report issued by the State Information Service (SIS) Wednesday.

The report added that this is the second summit between President Sisi and Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara, the first being in 2017 on the sidelines of Africa 2017 Forum held in Sharm El Sheikh.

This comes as part of an African tour that includes Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. Sisi is expected to hold talks with leaders of the three African countries on boosting bilateral relations and pushing forward development process in the African continent.

Egypt was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the same year of its independence in 1960. The first Egyptian diplomatic representation was established at the level of Chargé d'Affaires in 1963, raising representation to the level of the embassy in 1967 in Cairo in the same year, the report added.

The report noted that Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire share the membership of several organizations, including the United Nations, as well as a number of other regional and international organizations and groups such as the Islamic Conference and the African Union.

In December 2018, President Sisi received an invitation from President Ouattara to visit Yamoussoukro. During a meeting with Vice President of Cote d'Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan, Sisi received a hand-written letter, in which Ouattara invited Sisi to visit his country, according to presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady.