COUNTRY PROFILE / GERMANY

Continent: Europe

Official name: Federal Republic of Germany

Nature of the regime: Parliamentary democracy

Head of Federal State: Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Area: 357,590 km2

Currency: euro

Population: 83.7 million inhabitants

Capital: Berlin

Main cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne

Official language: German

1.1. Economically and financially

Cote d’Ivoire maintains close cooperation relations with Germany, in particular through its cooperation agency GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and its KFW bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) for the financing of several projects.

It should be noted that a program called "Program Compact with Africa" was initiated by the German Chancellor to promote sustainable private investment in Africa. Program Compact with Africa (CwA) is a G20 initiative in consultation with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that aims to stimulate private investment and jobs in Africa. The partnership was signed by Cote d’Ivoire in 2017. In February 2019, the 1^st meeting of the G20 Compact Country Team with Africa was held, in the presence of the Ambassadors of the G20 member countries.

It should also be noted that beyond the implementation of the reform matrix, the efforts made within the framework of the G20 Compact have made it possible to promote private investment among investor groups in G20 countries. Above all, these actions have contributed to mobilizing concrete gains from the Compact with Africa initiative.

In 2022, as part of the intergovernmental negotiations Cote d’Ivoire – Germany, the latter undertakes to reserve for Cote d’Ivoire, for the year 2022, an amount of about 52 400 billion of CFAF (grants and loans) to ensure the proper execution of bilateral development cooperation.

On the menu: climate and energy; vocational training and employment; governance and sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity, and forest protection and restoration; sustainable economic development and good governance. A special envelope of 2 620 billion of CFAF will aim at peacebuilding and crisis prevention, through an initiative to strengthen resilience in northern Cote d’Ivoire.

From June 1 to 2, 2021, intergovernmental negotiations between Cote d’Ivoire and Germany were held by videoconference. At the end of this meeting, Germany announced support of 72.91 million euros or 47.8 billion of CFAF for the financing of various projects in Cote d’Ivoire. The direct financing that Germany has granted to Cote d’Ivoire is in the form of loans and grants. Loans granted on official development assistance (ODA) terms were directed towards the following sectors:

• Agriculture sector;
• Rural and urban hydraulics sector;
• Transport sector;
• Port Infrastructure sector;
• Health sector;
• Energy sector;
• Environment sector;
• and various other sectors.

In addition, Germany has concluded twelve (12) debt restructuring agreements with Cote d’Ivoire, for a total amount of 457 billion of CFAF of rescheduled debt. The last three (03) Agreements are part of the implementation process of the HIPC initiative.

Thus, two (02) debt conversion agreements were signed with Germany respectively, on September 21, 2010 and September 9, 2012 and relate to the health sector through the creation of a fund with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as to the environment sector through the creation of a fund with the Foundation for Coast Parks and Reserves. of Cote d’Ivoire.

 

1.2. At the technical level

 Cooperation in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency

 

In November 2018, a Partnership Agreement with Germany for the promotion and financing of renewable energy in Cote d’Ivoire was signed. Called the Declaration of Understanding, it is part of the G20 countries' Compact Program with Africa. The Agreement is the very first, between Cote d’Ivoire and Germany, within the framework of the Compact Program of the G20 countries and involves financing of 100 million Euros, or about 65.5 billion of CFAF through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

This financing consists of a grant of 15 million Euros, or 9.8 billion of CFAF and a concessional loan of 85 million Euros, or 55.7 billion of CFAF.

In addition, several other Agreements were signed during the mission of Bavarian businessmen to Cote d’Ivoire in November 2018. These are :

• an agreement for the installation of 6 000 solar-powered hydraulic pumps with the Ministry of Hydraulics;
• an agreement for the delivery of 5,000 machines to filter water;
• an agreement with the local company "SHELEC" for the maintenance of the installations of the CIE substations using H3 gas;
• Memorandum of Understanding with SIEMENS for the development of new activities;
• contract for the sale of 100 MW solar panels and the opening of a technical school;

In addition, some projects are financed by the German energy cooperation:

1. Cote d’Ivoire – Ghana Interconnection (WAPP);
2. 5 MWp solar power plant;
3. Doubling of the Taabo – Yamoussoukro – Kossou – Bouaké line.

 

Cooperation in rural development and biodiversity conservation

 In the field of the environment, several projects are funded by GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) and KFW ("Credit Institute for Reconstruction"). These are:

• Assistance in the implementation of the national REDD+ strategy (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), more specifically on the elimination of deforestation in raw material supply chains;
• Financing of a jurisdictional project with the San-Pedro region : CAZ Project (Zero Deforestation Supply Chains).
• Cooperation in the field of health

• Chancellor Angela Merkel donated 251,000 mosquito nets to Cote d’Ivoire as part of the fight against malaria.
• In the area of reproductive health, health programs are financed by the German cooperation through GIZ and KfW. These programs are two (02) namely the family planning program, HIV/AIDS prevention and the health system strengthening program of Loh Djiboua and Haut Sassandra.

 

Cooperation in the field of mines

 In the field of mining, cooperation has led to the conduct of the Regional Governance Project for the Extractive Sector in West Africa (GRSE) which includes four (04) components:

• capacity building of regulatory authorities responsible for managing the sector and implementing tax and social security requirements;
  • capacity building of civil society actors; - strengthening cooperation between the administration, the private sector and the population in the field of local development;
  • cooperation (exchange of information and experience) at the level of the four (04) countries of the Mano River Union (CI, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone).

• Cooperation in the field of security

• With regard to security, the German cooperation agency GIZ has enabled the strengthening of the capacities of the national police, specifically the forensic police.

A. The main products exported are: rubber, processed wood, processed cocoa, green coffee, cocoa beans, mass cotton, petroleum products, cashew nuts, canned tuna, cola and other miscellaneous products.

B. The main imported products are: food products, chemicals, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, automobiles, appliances, and meat and edible offal.

Trade flows Cote d’Ivoire-Germany (Value in millions of CFA francs)
Years	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Exports	417 700	346 900	316 600	309 000	354 800
Imports	180 100	163 800	180 700	237 300	232 600
Trade balance	237 600	183 100	135 900	71 700	121 900
Global bilateral exchanges	597 800	510 700	497 300	546 300	587 700

Sources : DGE-DPPSE

 

Sources : (General Directorate of Economy) DGE-DPCEI (Department of Promotion and International Economic Cooperation

• The value of bilateral trade reached 587,700 million of CFAF in 2022 compared to 546,300 million of CFAF in 2021;
• Over the period 2018-2022, the average value of Ivorian exports is estimated at 349,000 million of CFAF/year against 198,900 million of CFAF/year for imports;
• Over the period 2018-2022, the trade balance is in surplus for Cote d’Ivoire.