C'était le 23 janvier dernier during a visit to the headquarters of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire that Finland has reaffirmed its commitment

A Finnish delegation discussed with AfDB leaders how to strengthen collaboration between the two entities, but also about the circular economy and the ongoing preparations for the 17th replenishment of the resources of the African Development Fund (ADF-17), the Bank Group dealership window. Discussions focused on Africa's main challenges and opportunities, regional economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and Finland's contributions to sustainable development initiatives, including the African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), of which it is one of the founding partners. According to Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Director General for Africa, who led the Finnish delegation, “the Bank's expertise, financing and global presence at the national level in Africa are of great value. As a donor to the African Circular Economy Facility, Finland is particularly pleased to see the circular economy fully integrated into the Group's functions.” She also reaffirmed Finland's continued support for multilateral channels of development cooperation and the importance of its partnership with the African Development Bank

The meeting concluded with an exchange on opportunities to strengthen collaboration, with both parties stressing the importance of sustained commitment to address Africa's development priorities.