TPO Conference sparks Cooperation.

Cote d'Ivoire, China Sign Agreement

The Cote d'Ivoire Export Promotion Agency (APEX-CI) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) took the opportunity during the 4th World Conference of TPOs in Beijing to sign a partnership agreement on 17 May 2002 - the day that CCPIT celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The agreement, signed by APEX-CI Director General Guy M'Bengue and CCPIT Vice Chairman Liu Wenjie, calls for frequent contacts and exchange of information between China and Cote d'Ivoire; cooperation between the industrial and commercial circles of the two countries; organization of training programmes for the staff of both institutions; and exchange of experts.

The partnership agreement followed meetings between Mr. M'Bengue and his counterparts from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss Cote d'Ivoire's future eligibility for direct Asian investment in strategic export sectors that are exempt from United States import tax and quotas.

For more information, contact: Guy M'Bengue, Director General, APEX-CI, at mbengue@apexci.org

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