King Arrives in Abidjan for Working and Friendly Visit

HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and HH Prince Moulay Ismail, arrived Sunday in Abidjan for a working and friendly visit to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, during which the Sovereign will also take part in the 5th African Union-European Union Summit, to be held on November 29-30 in Côte d'Ivoire's economic capital.
At the Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport, HM the King was greeted by Ivorian president, H.E Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who was accompanied by Côte d'Ivoire's First Lady Dominique Claudine Ouattara.
The Sovereign was also greeted by Ivorian Vice-president Daniel Kablan Duncan, Prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Ivorian State minister in charge of Defense Hamed Bakayoko, governor of Abidjan's autonomous district Beugré Robert Mambé, mayor of Port-Bouët Commune, and Côte d’Ivoire’s ambassador in Rabat Idrissa Traoré.
HM the King and the Ivorian head of State headed for the VIP stand to salute the national flags while the anthems of the two countries were playing, and reviewed a detachment of the republican guard which paid the honors.
The sovereign was afterwards greeted by the chiefs of the high commands (Armed Forces, Gendarmerie, Police), members of the government, as well as by senior Ivorian officials.
HM the King was also welcomed by Moroccan ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Abdelmalek Kettani, members of the Moroccan diplomatic mission in Abidjan, representatives of the Moroccan community living in Côte d'Ivoire and Moroccan and Ivorian economic operators.
For his part, the Ivorian president was greeted by the members of the official delegation accompanying the Sovereign, notably HM the King’s advisor Fouad Ali El Himma, minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita, minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests Aziz Akhannouch, and minister of Culture and Communication, acting minister of National Education and Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mohamed Laâraj.
After a short break at the airport VIP lounge, the procession of the two leaders headed for the residence of HM the King in Abidjan.