President Alassane Ouattara
late Friday in Abidjan conferred Cote D’Ivoire’s highest honour, the Grand
Cross of the Order of the Nation on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in
appreciation of Nigeria’s contributions to peace, stability and progress in
Cote D’Ivoire.
President Ouattara also conferred the honour of Commander of the
Order of the Nation on the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan at a State
Banquet in the Ivorian seat of government.
Speaking at the occasion, President Jonathan who began a state
visit to the country on Friday said that Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire must
continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation for the benefit of their
citizens and others in the West African sub-region.
“As partners, driven by shared values and a common strategic
objective, namely, the security, stability and prosperity of our sub-region, we
must continue to build on the historical bond of friendship and solidarity
which have served our two countries very well in the past. My challenge – and
also President Ouattara’s challenge – is to intensify this partnership for the
benefit of our citizens and the entire sub-region of West Africa.
“I believe that the future of our countries lies in
consolidating our relationships in all spheres of human endeavour but most
especially in the areas of democratisation and good governance, promotion of
human rights, poverty eradication and development.
“Going forward, our
countries must build on the efforts of our past leaders to foster a climate of
peace and security in our sub-region. Without these collective efforts, our
hopes and our aspiration of improving the living conditions of our peoples
would be imperilled. We must fight poverty collectively through pooling of our
resources, value-addition, intra-regional trade and promotion of investments,”
President Jonathan said.
President Jonathan thanked President Ouattara and the people of
Cote D’Ivoire for the special honours conferred on him and the First Lady. “We
will cherish and treasure them for the rest of our lives,” he said.
‘”As a true friend of Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria will always be on
your side to share the joys and pains of friendship, in good times as well as
in bad times. We stood, shoulder to shoulder, with you all the way during some
of the darkest periods of your recent history. Now that your beautiful country
has turned the bend, there is even more incentive for us in Nigeria to work
with the government of President Ouattara and with the people of Cote d’Ivoire
to build on the progress you have worked hard to achieve in the last few
years,” the President also said.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
March 2, 2013
[ Source: DailyPost ]
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