Singrobo-Ahouaty (Agnéby-Tiassa), June 30, 2025 – The Minister of Culture and Francophonie of Côte d’Ivoire, Françoise Remarck, and Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider signed a cooperation agreement on Monday, June 30, 2025, in Singrobo-Ahouaty. The agreement concerns the import, export, and return of cultural property between their two countries.

The signing took place during the inauguration ceremony of the first wing of Côte d’Ivoire’s first archaeological museum, located in Singrobo-Ahouaty, in the Agnéby-Tiassa region.

“I am delighted with the signing of our agreement on the import, export, and return of cultural property. This agreement marks a new step in our shared commitment to heritage protection through a monitoring mechanism, combating illicit trafficking, and enhancing cultural diversity,” said Minister Françoise Remarck.

She further stated that this agreement could be expanded and may lead to other similar agreements.

The Minister also expressed her gratitude to Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who presented her with a traditional mask from the Lötschental Valley (in Switzerland), a bearer of memory and a symbol of resilience, solidarity, and the ability of communities to recover and reinvent themselves.

For her part, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider recalled that Switzerland and Côte d’Ivoire have enjoyed a longstanding cooperation based on trust, mutual respect, and a shared goal of protecting and promoting cultural heritage:
“This cooperation will be further strengthened by the agreement on the transfer of cultural property that Minister Remarck and I have just signed.”

This agreement defines the conditions under which the importation of cultural property is considered legal or illegal, establishes procedures for the repatriation of cultural goods imported unlawfully, and promotes cooperation in the preservation of endangered cultural heritage.