Ivory Coast president hosts gala dinner for Moroccan king

King Mohammed VI has urged for greater trade links with Cote d’Ivoire President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara has hosted Morocco King Mohammed VI in the Ivorian capital Abidjan, with the two men discussing regional politics over a gala dinner on Wednesday evening. Arab Maghreb Presse agency has confirmed the Moroccan monarch and Cote d’Ivoire president called for greater cooperation between the two countries.
Ouattara claimed his country “remained firm” in its stance on Western Sahara, a long-disputed territory within Moroccan borders.
The Ivorian president said a fresh Moroccan initiative to grant greater autonomy to Western Saharans represents the “perfect solution,” amid ongoing diplomatic wrangling between Morocco and the Saharan territory’s Algerian-backed Polisario organisation.
A joint statement broadcast on Thursday announced relations had seen “steady progress” with “the true potential of the two countries and good cooperation between them still present.”
Cote d’Ivoire has meanwhile drawn up draft agreements with Morocco in a number of fields, including justice and tourism.
Morocco responded by proposing intensifying trade and investments links with developments in ports, maritime transport, industrial cooperation and waters and resources.