Military officials from the Pennsylvania National Guard announced a strategic partnership with the armed forces of Côte d'Ivoire.
Major General John R. Beebe, Commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard, said that the state proudly and enthusiastically welcomes Côte d'Ivoire, as the newest partner within the program, stressing the aspiration to build a new and sustainable relationship with the Ivorian side. He explained that the partnership aims to exchange experiences and knowledge in the fields of security, disaster preparedness, and professional development, which contributes to enhancing joint capabilities, supporting regional stability, and consolidating friendly relations and cooperation.
The Pennsylvania National Guard includes about 18,000 soldiers and pilots, and is one of the largest National Guard formations in the United States. It is based in Fort Indiantown Gap as its headquarters, with its units spread in more than 60 communities within the state.
For his part, the Chief of Defense Staff of the Armed Forces of Ivory Coast, General Lassen Doumbia, stressed that this partnership represents a strategic opportunity to transfer operational skills, develop crisis management capabilities, enhance national security, and improve the resilience of Ivorian communities, in addition to creating indirect economic synergies linked to the cocoa and chocolate industry.
Ivory Coast is a country located in West Africa with a population of about 32 million people. Its political capital is Yamoussoukro, while Abidjan is the economic capital and largest city in the country.
The official signing ceremony for the partnership agreement is scheduled to take place later this year in both the United States and Ivory Coast.
This is the second partnership for the Pennsylvania National Guard within the partnership program, after its ongoing partnership with Lithuania since 1993.
The National Guard-State Partnership Program currently includes 107 partnerships with 116 countries around the world, and is managed by the National Guard Bureau, which supports the goals of security and defense cooperation, and enhances military, civil, economic, and social partnerships between the United States and partner countries.
