Dear fellow citizens

Dear friends from Switzerland, Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa

I share the view of many economists that Africa is the continent of the 21st century, thanks to its intellectual and natural resources, its demographic transition – one out of every three young people will live in Africa in 2050 – and its rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage. And what is true for the continent as a whole is particularly true for Côte d'Ivoire, which, in my opinion, embodies Africa's many potentialities: rapid growth, an economy active in multiple sectors, a vibrant culture, a young and enterprising population, modern infrastructure and a key role in regional integration. I am therefore very grateful to have been able to settle here with my family and to have the privilege of observing how Côte d'Ivoire is increasingly asserting itself as a major economic and cultural player on the world stage.

For more than 60 years, Côte d'Ivoire and Switzerland have been linked by a profound friendship. Together, we have been building bridges – both literally and figuratively. This friendship and mutual respect are reinforced by our close ties in research and innovation, as well as by our dynamic and increasingly important economic relations, with more than 45 Swiss companies operating in Côte d'Ivoire and Switzerland being the fourth largest trading partner of the country. Thanks to the many development projects we are carrying out together, we are united in our commitment to a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.

Throughout my term of office, with the fantastic team

• at the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan,
• at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Ouagadougou – where Swiss cooperation has been present since the great droughts of the late 1970s and where it remains tirelessly committed – as well as
• with honorary consuls general in Monrovia, Freetown and Conakry,

we will deepen and invigorate Switzerland's relations with Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

I consider myself privileged to be able to pursue this goal alongside a very dynamic Swiss community, active in the fields of research, economics, and cultural and associative life throughout the region. I am very grateful for your contribution to strengthening ties between West Africa and Switzerland, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet you soon.

Dominique Favre

Swiss Ambassador