In a country where access to water on the national territory remains a major challenge, each diplomatic partnership established around the tap weighs heavily. It is with this in mind that a meeting was held this Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Abidjan between the Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and Health, Dr Amédé Koffi Kouakou and Swedish diplomacy. This meeting takes place in a context where Côte d'Ivoire displays high ambitions. According to the 2011-2025 government report, the national access rate to drinking water increased from 50% to 80%. The National Development Plan (PND) 2026-2030, with an overall envelope of more than 114,838 billion FCFA, devotes an entire pillar to equitable access to essential services, including drinking water, throughout the national territory.The country is also committed, via the National Pact for Water Security concluded with its technical and financial partners, to achieving basic universal access to water by 2030, compared to 77% in 2024, by mobilizing approximately $7 billion in investments over the period.

The discussions between the Minister and the Swedish representation reflect the common desire to make this relationship long-term, beyond a simple protocol gesture. No quantified agreement was announced at the end of this hearing, but the two parties showed their intention to continue the development of partnerships likely to contribute to national objectives in the hydraulic field.It remains to be seen whether this meeting will lead to concrete, financial or technical commitments. In a sector where the mobilization of international donors largely conditions the achievement of the objectives of the PND 2026-2030, the follow-up given to these discussions will be closely scrutinized by stakeholders in the water sector in Côte d'Ivoire.