Polish president visited Ivory Coast to discuss impact of war in Ukraine

After traveling to Nigeria on Tuesday, the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, met Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara on Wednesday in Ivory Coast's capital, Abidjan.

The talks centred around the impact of the war in Ukraine on international trade.

"We are concerned by the impact of the war in Ukraine on international trade and on the growth of the global economy, which risks going into recession, and in particular the bad impacts on African countries. I said it was important for borders that have been recognized for decades to be respected and for that we have shown our support to Ukraine in its fight to restore its natural frontiers", reiterated Alassane Ouattara, President of Ivory Coast.

Unlike a significant number of African nations, Ivory Coast voted at the United Nations General Assembly in March to deplore Russia's invasion of Ukraine calling for Russian troops to withdraw.

The war in Ukraine has triggered a global food crisis as Russia and Ukraine together accounted for nearly a third of the world's wheat and barley exports, more than 70% of its sunflower oil and a large volume of corn.

The continent's 54 countries imported 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to UN figures.