On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, a delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Côte d’Ivoire (AmCham-CI) comprising former President Mr. Yohannes Mekbebe, Executive Director Mr. Stéphane Hié Néa, M.Sc, Mr. Prosper Tchouambe, CEO of SONAL and AmCham-CI member Mr. Radwan Fawaz, and Executive Secretary Ms. Salimata Tiffany Diaby was received by the Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, Mr. Sidi Tiémoko Touré, at his office.

The discussions focused on the mission carried out by AmCham-CI to Iowa State (USA) as part of the "AGRI CONNECTION" initiative. This initiative aims to establish a structured collaboration between the School of Agronomy of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Yamoussoukro (ESA/INP-HB) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University, benefiting higher education in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Minister expressed his strong commitment to the project and his determination to mobilize other key ministries (National Education, Higher Education, Agriculture) to facilitate its implementation. Furthermore, he congratulated AmCham-CI on the positive impact of its actions in support of the Ivorian livestock, fisheries, and agricultural sectors.

This institutional involvement marks an important milestone for the AGRI CONNECTION project and confirms AmCham-CI's role as a catalyst for sustainable collaboration between American and Ivorian institutions.