It took place in the presence of the Chairperson of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors, Amadou Diop, and the Executive Secretary of the Council of the Entente, Patrice Kouamé.

With the signing of this document, 17 years following that of 2000, both parties pledge to cooperate and hold regular consultations in various areas.

These areas include peace, security, rule of law, good governance, migration, humanitarian issues, health, education and culture.

They also focus on regional economic integration, capacity building, environment, private sector development, investment promotion, and development cooperation.

The renewed partnership between the ACP Group and ECOWAS is in close connection with the West African organisation’s fight against poverty, with special emphasis on youth employment.

This new partnership is expected to promote South-South cooperation between Member States of both organisations and other developing countries.

The second relates to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ECOWAS and the Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC), represented by its Secretary-General, Adamou Saley Abdourahamane.

The document sets out a general framework for collaboration and cooperation between ECOWAS and UASC on issues of common interest in maritime transport and international trade sectors.

According to the ECOWAS Commission President, it constitutes a roadmap for strengthening cooperation between the two organisations for a renewed move towards integration in road, rail, maritime and airport infrastructure in Africa.

UASC, made up of 17 countries, including 11 in West Africa, intends to work towards providing a concrete content to this memorandum in order to improve trade in Africa, said its Secretary-General.

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