According to a report released by NDF Public Relations Department, H.E. Ouattara Tamakolo, Ambassador of Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to Iran, and NDF President Ghazanfari, accompanied by Hossein Eivazloo, NDF Vice-president in Foreign Investment Affairs, exchanged views on promotion of trade and economic relations in a meeting hosted by NDF here in Tehran.
Wishing for expansion of economic ties between the two countries and briefing on the very experience of Iran in forex resources reserves earned from sale of oil, gas and natural gas condensate, Ghazanfari initially said,” NDF is known as so-called the second Central Bank of Iran holding foreign exchange resources for investment purposes.” He then pointed up the NDF willingness to make overseas investment and enter the African Countries sector if opportunities for low risk and high-return investments are provided. Such investments would be facilitated if made through African countries associations, Ghazanfari added. Ghazanfari then expressed hope that the meeting would lead to broadening economic relations between Iran and Ivory Coast.
For his part, H.E. Ouattara Tamakolo, Ambassador of Cote D'Ivoire to Iran highlighted the over 40 years of proper relationship established between Ivory Coast and Iran but unfortunately, but regretted that the economic relations between the two countries have not reached the desired level. Referring to the holding of the first joint commission on Ivory Coast-Iran cooperation in 2007, Mr. Tamakolo announced that that Ivory Coast would host an Iranian delegation in Abidjan in less than two months, probably in October for the second joint commission and hoped that the meeting would strengthen the economic ties between Tehran and Abidjan and pave the way for investment of NDF in Ivory Coast.
According to NDF PR Reports, Ambassador Tamakolo also pointed out the provision of 40 % of the capital for the association, consisting of 8 African countries, by Ivory Coast, and stated, “Investing in Ivory Coast means easy access to all member countries, which are using the same currency.” As declared by Mr. Tamakolo, 15 Iranian companies are now having economic cooperation with Ivory Coast and as regards the monopoly of 40% of the world's cocoa production in the country, there are high potentials in various agricultural fields, especially those of processing and cocoa production industry. He further said that investment in roads, railways and airport infrastructures are other fields of joint cooperation between the two countries.
Ambassador of Cote D'Ivoire to Iran then stressed on investment in energy and oil industries as his next suggestion and said, “we have also discussed the suggestion with an Iranian company which is willing to cooperate”. “We have not made much progress in the field of oil and gas extraction, and Iran’s investment will definitely lead to many achievements, he added.
As his final words, Mehdi Ghazanfari, while welcoming NDF’s investment in Ivory Coast energy sector, said, “If Iranian companies intend to enter the sector, NDF will provide them with proper forex support”. “Ways to invest in Ivory Coast can be explored in a joint consortium consisting of representatives from Ivory Coast's energy sector, Ministry of Petroleum and an Iranian energy company, he concluded.