[Press Conference: "Cote D'Ivoire MOU Signing"]
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IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR TURNER.THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UH, UH, CHRIS AND YOU EXCELLENCY.
IT IS JUST AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU AMBASSADOR AND THE ENTIRE DELEGATION, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, TO CITY HALL.
UM, AND, UM, I'M DELIGHTED THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS IS ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
AND LOOK, UH, YOUR EXCELLENCY, UM, UH, UH, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL, UH, TO BE WELCOME YOU HERE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AS THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN FABS COVAR AND MAYOR OF THE CITY OF A BOBO.
UM, MAYORS, UH, DO MANY OF THE SAME THINGS AS WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, HIS EXCELLENCY, UH, KOMAN, I I DO MINING, UM, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF KO DEVAR IS ALSO WITH US.
AND LET ME ALSO RECOGNIZE, UM, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER DIGNITARIES FROM THE IVORY COASTS THAT HAVE JOINED US TODAY.
THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF CO DEVO TO UNITED STATES AND THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF CO DEVO TO CANADA.
AND THE AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CO DEVO TO UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK, AND THE COUNCIL GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF CO DEVO IN NEW YORK, WHO I HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET DURING HIS VISIT TO HOUSTON LAST MARCH.
UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY FRIEND MR. UH, DIANI, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SMART CITIES INTERNATIONAL, UH, FOR INITIATING THIS TRADE MISSION AND FOR ALL HIS WORK IN STRENGTHENING THE TIES BETWEEN HOUSTON AND COVA FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS.
YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY REFLECTS THE INTERNATIONAL FABRIC OF OUR CITY, AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT IT'S THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
HOUSTON HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AFRICAN DI DIASPORAS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
OUR CITY IS TRULY LIKE NO OTHER.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE HOUSTON SO AMAZING IS A GLOBAL COMMUNITY THAT CALLED HOUSTON HOME, WHERE ONE OF FOUR HOUSTONIAN IS FOREIGN BORN.
WE HAVE A ROBUST AND THRIVING AFRICAN COMMUNITY WITH MORE THAN 115,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA, BORN IN AFRICA, AND OUR AFRICAN DIASPORA HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND TOGETHER WITH THIS COMMUNITY, WE HAVE WORKED TO ENSURE HOUSTON HAS A VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN CONTINENT FROM 2011 TO 2020.
TRADE BETWEEN HOUSTON AND AFRICA AVERAGE ABOUT $12.3 BILLION ANNUALLY.
AND HOUSTON SERVICES AFRICA'S SECOND LARGEST, UH, US TRADING.
PARDON? WE WANT TO EXPAND THAT, BUILD ON THAT.
AND WITH THIS TRADE, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
HOUSTON CONTINUES TO BE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, UH, THROUGH OIL AND GAS, AS WELL AS SPEARHEADING THE ENERGY TRANSITION WITH THE FULL RANGE OF RENEWABLES.
AND HOUSTON IS HOME TO THE LARGEST MEDICAL COMPLEX IN THE WORLD.
AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH IS AT THE LEADING EDGE OF GLOBAL HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES AND HOUSTON HAS BECOME A LEADING CENTER IN INNOVATION, CREATING NEW DIGITAL AND HIGH TECH COMPANIES IN AEROSPACE, HEALTHCARE, ENERGY, AND IN DIGITAL SPACE.
SO I'M DELIGHTED TO KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE MEETING WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS AND EXPERTS INCLUDING THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, MD ANDERSON, TEXAS A AND M, CITY OF HOUSTON, HUMAN RESOURCES, THE EAST END MAKER HUB, SIR JOBS, AS WELL AS MY ALMA MATER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I KNOW THIS WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE VISIT AND HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE YOUR LAST VISIT TO HOUSTON.
UH, AND I KNOW WE ARE GONNA BE SIGNING THE MOU UH, SHORTLY, BUT, UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU'RE HERE IN HOUSTON TODAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN COVAR IN JULY OF THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHAT GAME I TAKING TODAY? SO TODAY WE ARE GOING TO PLAY A GAME OF DISCOVERY THAT WE INTRODUCE YOU TO MY TOWN.
COME ON, I'LL TAKE YOU TO ABO ABO IS A BUSTLING TOWN IN THE DISTRICT OF AB WITH
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A POPULATION OF OVER 1.4 MILLION OF WE, 70% ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 35.THE TOWN HISTORY DATES FROM THE COLONIAL PERIOD WHEN ABU SERVED AS ONE OF THE FIRST TRAIN STATIONS ON THE AJA NIGEL LINE.
TODAY IT'S HOME TO A VIBRANT COMMUNITY OF MANY SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE INVOLVED IN LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AND THE CRAFT AND COMMERCE OF GAS AND MACHINE SPARE PARTS.
THE PEOPLE OF ABO ARE KNOWN FOR THE BRAVERY AND AT WORK, ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN WHO ARE THE BACKBONES OF THE FAMILIES AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY WORKING AS DOMESTIC WORKERS, MARKET TRADERS, AND STREET VENDORS.
DESPITE THE DESIRE TO WORK, MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF ABU WAS STRUGGL UP TO FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT DUE TO THE LACK OF HANDS-ON TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE UNDER THE TOWN STANDARD DEVELOPMENT, THE PRESIDENT OF KWA, HIS EXCELLENCY LRA ANNOUNCING THAT THE YEAR 2023 WILL BE THE YEAR OF THE YOUTH SETTING THE STAGE FOR ADDED ATTENTION AND INVESTMENT IN YOUTH UPSCALING AND EMPLOYMENT.
AS PART OF THIS EFFORTS, THE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED THE EMERGENCY PROGRAM FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF ABU IN 2017 WITH A BUDGET OF $348 BILLION.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO INVEST HEAVILY IN INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LARGEST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY, THE EASTERN HIGHWAY THAT WILL LINK ENTIRE EASTERN CORRIDOR AND SEVERAL MAJOR INTER JUNCTIONS, SUCH AS THE ONE BEING BUILT BY ABO CITY HALL, ARE ALL ON THE WAY.
THE TOWN IS ALSO BEING IN DISHED WITH NEW FACADES AND THE NEW WORLD TOWERS BEING CONSTRUCTED IN THE ABU ADVOCACY NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHAT'S MORE? THERE ARE PLANS TO BUILD A NEW HIGH GIRLS SCHOOL WITH BOARDING MANY TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE.
THE NEW ABORIGINAL METRO RACE SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE ABO WITH FIVE TRAIN STATIONS MAKING COMMUTE TO AND FROM ABO MUCH EASIER.
THAT'S MAKING THE TOWN MORE ATTRACTIVE.
CAR DVO HAS SUSTAINED AN IMPRESSIVE AVERAGE GROWTH RATE OF 7% OVER THE PAST DECADE, MAKING IT ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMICS IN THE WORLD TO FURTHER BOOST ITS GROWTH.
THE GOVERNMENT IS INVESTING HEAVILY IN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS THE LARGEST COCO AND CASH AS PRODUCER IN THE WORLD.
VIR REMAINS A STRONG AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY WITH ABOUNDED NATURAL RESOURCES INCLUDING PALM OIL, NATURAL GAS, COPPER, IRON, GOLD, AND EVEN DIAMOND.
THE MUNICIPALITY IS LED BY KAIA CAMERA, THE MINISTER OF STATE WHO IS DEDICATED AND ATTENTIVE LEADER.
HER AMBITION IS TO TRANSFORM ABO INTO ONE OF THE APPIES MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
WITH HER VISION AND LEADERSHIP, ABO WILL BECOME A HUB OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROSPERITY FOR ITS PEOPLE.
HEY, HOW DID YOU FIND ABU BOO ABU IS? COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF THE BEAUTY AND POTENTIAL OF ABO AND COVO.
I INVITE THE MAYOR, THE AUTHORITIES OF HOUSTON TO COME TO K DEVO TO COME TO ABO.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE OF KKO DEVORE KNOW HOW TO WELCOME PEOPLE COMING FROM EVERYWHERE.
AS YOU SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO SEE IN COVO AND ALSO IT'LL BE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE INVESTORS.
THE AMERICAN INVESTORS COME TO COVO TO MAKE BUSINESS.
YOU'RE GONNA DISCOVER MANY THINGS AND I'M SURE YOU WILL ENJOY IT.
IN ABO, WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU.
AND WITH THAT, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF
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KO DEVORE AND THE MAYOR OF A BOBO.TO THE STAGE YOUR EXCELLENCY HONORABLE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, MR. SYLVESTER TURNER, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF A MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD AFTERNOON, MY BROTHER, MAYOR TURNER.
SYLVESTER, I'M VERY DELIGHTED TO BE HERE IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL AND BIG COUNTRY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARMEST WELCOME HERE IN YOUR CITY.
AS TEAM MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPALITY CONCEAL, MY NAME IS KEN KAMARA, SENIOR MINISTER, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE AFRICAN INTEGRATION, AND THE DIASPORA OF THE REPUBLIC OF TIVO.
I'M ALSO THE MAYOR OF ABO, A BALING TOWN IN THE DISTRICT OF AJA.
AND I'M HONORED TO STAND BEFORE YOU IN THAT CAPACITY TODAY.
PLEASE ALLOWED ME TO MARK THIS EVENT BY SAYING HOW HONORED AND FREE I AM TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INTRODUCING THE AM EMBODIMENT OF THIS EVENT, THE HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF ABO IN THE REPUBLIC OF CORD DEVORE.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO HAVE SO MANY ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIALS HERE TODAY.
AND IF I MAY, I'M SPECIALLY GLAD TO HAVE A STRONG MAN IN MY LIFE HERE AT THIS CEREMONY.
MY HUSBAND, AMBASSADOR AND Z KAMARA, ALSO PRESENT OF THE AMBASSADOR OF CO DVO IN THE US ABRA RE, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATION IN NEW YORK, AMBASSADOR DE WILL FRONT IPO.
WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU DISTINGUISHED GUEST.
THIS PARTNERSHIP IS AIMED TO FOSTER CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL TIES BETWEEN OUR TWO COMMUNITIES.
AS MANY OF, UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS A DIVERSE CITY WITH PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES, RACES, AND NATIONALITIES.
SIMILARLY, ABO IS A MUNICIPALITY IN CORD DVO AND IS A MELTING POT OF DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND LANGUAGES.
THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE HOPE TO CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.
CO DVO IS THE SECOND BIGGEST ECONOMY OF WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIC POWERHOUSES AND ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY WORLDWIDE.
IT'S IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST COCOA AND CASHEW PRODUCER AND ONE OF THE AFRICAN MAJOR EXPORTERS OF COCOA COFFEE, CASH, NUTS, PALM OIL, RUBBER, NANAS, GOLD, MANESE, NICKEL, ISL, IRO, ELECTRICITY AND OIL.
UNDER THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT ALLISON WATER, THE COUNTRY HAS ACHIEVED AN IMPRESSIVE AVERAGE GROWTH RATE OF 7% OVER THE PAST DECADE.
COMING BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF ABO, IT HAS ONE OF THE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES IN CORD, DVO, A BALING TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 1.4 MILLION, MOSTLY COMPRISED OF YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 35.
THE TOWN HAS A RICH HISTORY DATING BACK TO ITS ROLE AS ONE OF THE FIRST TRAIN STATION ON THE AJANI OF ON AJA, ON THE AJANI LINE DURING
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THE COLONIAL ERA.TODAY, ABO IS HOME TO A VIBRANT AND COSMOPOLITAN POPULATION, MAINLY SELF-EMPLOYED AND ACTIVE IN LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, RAFT AND COMMERCE OF CARS AND MACHINE SPARE PARTS.
HOWEVER, DESPITE THE ENTHUSIASM AND DESIRE TO WORK, MANY OF ABO YOUTH STRUGGLE TO FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT DUE TO A LACK OF TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND HELP THE TOWN IMPROVE ITS DEVELOPMENT, THE GOVERNMENT HAS LAUNCHED A PROGRAM CALLED PUKA.
YOU SAW RIGHT NOW EMERGENCY PROGRAM FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF ABO WITH A BUDGET OF $338 MILLION.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO INVEST HEAVILY IN INFRASTRUCTURES, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO EXPAND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE POPULATION OF ABO.
IN ADDITION TO THE PUP PROGRAM, THERE ARE PLANS TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, INCLUDING A NEW ALL GIRL BOARDING HIGH SCHOOL, A TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL, AND SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE.
THETAN ALSO BOAST SOCIAL SPORTIVE AND CULTURAL CENTERS SUCH AS THE CULTURAL ACTION CENTER OF ABO, THE RA, MUSEUM OF, UH, CONTEMPORARY CULTURES AND A SPORTS COMPLEX CALLED AURA.
ABO IS A DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC TOWN WITH A PROMISING FEATURE.
IN K, THE GOVERNMENTS INVESTS IN INFRASTRUCTURES AND EDUCATION ARE AIMED TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THE SIMILAR, THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HOUSTON AND ABO ARE STRIKING.
BOTH CITIES ARE DIVERSE, COSMOPOLITAN, AND HAVE VIBRANT ECONOMY DESPITE SOME CHALLENGES.
HOWEVER, WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP AND A COMMITMENT TO PROGRESS, ABO IS A SHOULD OF A BRIGHT FEATURE.
NOW, AS WE BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN OUR TWO COMMUNITIES, LET US LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER, SHARE OUR STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES, AND WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL.
I'LL HAVE YOU MOVE TO THIS CHAIR, THE FAR CHAIR OVER THERE.
WE'LL NOW SIGN THE MOU, MAYOR TURNER.
CAN I INVITE YOU TO THE STAGE PLEASE? AS THEY ARE SET TO SIGN THE MOU, AND AS THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SIGNING, I WILL READ THE MOU LANGUAGE SO YOU ALL CAN HEAR WHAT THESE ENTAILED.
THE MU STATES THAT THE REPUBLIC OF CO DEIR AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ON THE BASIS OF FOSTERING GREATER COMMERCIAL LINKS, GOODWILL, BILATERAL DEVELOPMENT, EXPRESSED THE INTENT TO ENGAGE OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES IN FURTHER FRIENDLY DIALOGUE AND MUTUAL EXPLORATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXCHANGE AND GROWTH.
ENCOURAGING CITY TO CITY ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF ABO AND HOUSTON, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELDS RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY, AGRIBUSINESS, HEALTH TRAINING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS.
WITH A GOAL OF FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF CO DEVO IN HOUSTON, THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS SIGNED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 17TH, 2023, AND PREPARED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH WITH THE SAME LEGAL STATUS IN EFFECT FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS.
AND WITH THAT, THE MOUS HAVE BEEN SIGNED.