Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire have taken a fresh step toward restoring confidence and cooperation, holding high-level talks in Ouagadougou on Saturday, the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The meeting brought together Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister Delegate for African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, Adama Dosso.

Both sides described the discussions as constructive and focused on resolving lingering misunderstandings between the two West African neighbors.

“We are here so that misunderstandings become a thing of the past and so that our relations, once a model of cooperation in West Africa, return to what they used to be,” Dosso said, noting that Abidjan views renewed dialogue as essential for regional stability.

Traoré echoed this sentiment, stressing that the talks were held “in a spirit of fraternity,” fully aligned with the vision of Burkina Faso’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, to strengthen ties with neighboring states.

Relations between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire have faced strain in recent years, influenced by political transitions in Ouagadougou, regional security challenges, and differing diplomatic alignments within West Africa.