Abidjan, 26-29 November 2017 – This year EuroCham Ivory Coast hosted the delegation of the European Business Organization Worldwide Network with executive directors of more than 30 European Business Organizations.
Mr. Levon Israelyan, President of EBA Armenia represented the association at the meeting in Abidjan. The EBO delegation was lead by chairman Mr. Renato Pacheto Neto and hosted by Executive Director EuroCham Ivory Coast Mr. Maximilien Lemaire.
This was the first meeting of the EBO WWN to take place in Africa. This annual regional meeting coincided with the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum and the 5th EU-Africa Summit. Currently, European business organisations exist in 5 continents and 35 countries.
Discussions focused on different governance structures, institutional relationship with bilateral chambers, membership development, and general best practises and information sharing.
Adam Dunnett, EBO WWN Vice-Chairman from EBO China spoke on the global camaraderie that the EBO WWN has created thanks to the support of DG Grow. He pointed out that information is increasingly shared widely across EBOs as the trust and interest in the network continues to reach new highs”.
In separate meeting EBO members also listened to presentations from the Vice President of the World Bank for West Africa, Yara, a leading agri-food business, and from the President of the Ivory Coast European Chamber. On European topics, the members discussed European Union Economic Diplomacy and how to apply in their own countries.
Finally, EBO WWN Chairman Pacheco also had the opportunity to meet Federica Mogherini, EU Commission Vice President in charge of EU Foreign Affairs and Security, who closed the 6th EU-Africa business Forum.
As a result of this trip, the EBO WWN expects about six new Chambers from mainly Africa and Latin America to join the organization thus strengthening the European global chain value, and also strengthening the multilateral approach to supporting its members in all the continents where they may be present.