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The Deputy Secretary Negroponte greeting President Gbagbo (Photo: Yacouba Soro/US Embassy)

Statement for Deputy Secretary Negroponte’s Press Availability in Côte d'Ivoire
November 11, 2007

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen.   I am pleased to be here in Côte d'Ivoire and I have had very good meetings during my stay.

Today, I met with President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, as well as with former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara and PDCI Secretary General Professor Alphonse Djedje Mady.  I also met with United Nations officials and representatives of civil society, many of whom are involved in promoting democracy.

I stressed to everyone I met that the United States wants to see Cote d’Ivoire regain peace and prosperity.  We believe the Ouagadougou Political Agreement offers a very good path to recovery and for that reason we support its implementation as soon as possible.  I heard about the actions the government has already taken and I want to acknowledge that some progress has indeed been made since the agreement was signed in March.

The United States also recognizes that implementing the Agreement is not a simple task.  Beyond the technical and logistical issues that have to be addressed, implementation will require courage and a willingness to move beyond the disagreements that have kept Cote d’Ivoire divided.  In my meetings today, I urged Ivorian leaders from across the spectrum to take the steps they know are necessary to implement the Agreement and to work together to improve Cote d’Ivoire’s prospects for the future.

I was pleased to see that there is widespread recognition of the damage that the political crisis has done to the Ivorian people and to the country’s standing in the region.  There is a strong desire on the part of all parties to move beyond crisis mode.  We hope that this recognition of the need to move forward will result in implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement without delay.

The United States has had warm relations with the Government and people of Cote d’Ivoire for many years and I expect that to continue.  We have strong commercial ties (bilateral trade totaled nearly $1 billion in 2006), and many exchanges in the areas of health, education, and cultural affairs.  

We look forward to a peaceful, prosperous future for Cote d'Ivoire.    In my conversations today I heard a great deal about the obstacles that stand in the way of new voter registrations, of disarmament, of the rule of law, and of economic progress.  The road ahead will be a difficult one – but it is not an impossible one.  There will be difficult choices that only Ivorians can make and I encouraged your leaders today to address these issues in as open a manner as possible so all points of view are heard.

With the Ouagadougou Agreement as the framework, now is the time to make real progress on the critical issues of identification, elections planning, and disarmament and reintegration of the military.  I wish you and your countrymen the very best as you tackle these issues.  I want to thank our hosts once again for their warm reception.  I will return to the United States with a deeper understanding of this country and its people.

Thank you.