Israel, ECOWAS sign MOU on Cooperation

The MOU seeks to promote technical and economic assistance and covers agriculture, economic development, education and culture
 
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman signed last Wednesday the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Israel and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria.
 
The MOU aims to set up a cooperation framework and a platform of dialogue between the two parties.
 
ECOWAS is comprised of fifteen West African states, and three member states - Guinea, Mali and Niger - do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
 
They similarly signed an implementation agreement which will be supervised by the ECOWAS Commission and Israel’s National Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV).
 
Both documents were signed in Abuja on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean de Dieu Somda for ECOWAS while the visiting Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Avigdor Liebermen, signed for the State of Israel.
 
The MOU which seeks to promote technical and economic assistance between ECOWAS and Israel, among others, covers agriculture, economic development, education and culture.
 
It encourages a regular dialogue between the two parties, a regular exchange of information and ideas in every sector of co-operation, transfer of technical assistance, expertise, institutional capacity building and training.
 
Also, it agrees on the implementation of joint programmes, technical, administrative and regulatory assistance as well as the dissemination of information on joint initiatives.
The implementation agreement specifically includes poverty alleviation and food security, agricultural research and technical assistance mutually agreed upon by ECOWAS and MASHAV.