The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Donald Kaberuka, was received on Thursday, February 28 in Yamoussoukro by Alassane Ouattara, President of Côte D'Ivoire. The meeting took place alongside the 42th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), one day after the AfDB Board of Directors held its meeting in Abidjan.

President Ouattara and Kaberuka discussed the continent's socio-economic development and regional integration. Development concerns in the Sahel were also addressed. Both Ouattara and Kaberuka agreed that regional economic integration, through regional economic communities such as ECOWAS, and the realization of important projects that benefit several countries were more likely to ensure the continent's sustainable development.

Kaberuka explained to the Ivoirian President the efforts undertaken by the AfDB in the area of regional integration, which is one of Bank's major areas of intervention, especially through the African Development Fund (ADF), the African Development Bank's concessional window.

The meeting was an opportunity for Kaberuka to update President Ouattara on the discussions of the AfDB's Board of Directors, which met for the first time in Abidjan since the Bank's relocation to Tunis in 2003. The Board meeting was seen by Kaberuka as a first step in the institution's return to its headquarters. In this regard, Kaberuka congratulated the Ivorian government for the efforts made to bring the institution back to Abidjan in the best possible conditions.

Following a visit to projects financed by the Bank and other socio-economic infrastructure, Kaberuka congratulated the President for the progress made with respect to the country's economic revival and stability.