President John Mahama of Ghana and Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, will take part in the 4th edition of the Africa CEO forum, the foremost international meeting dedicated to the development of the private sector in Africa.

The forum will take place on Monday and Tuesday, March 21 and 22, 2016, in the Ivorian national capital Abidjan.

Both Presidents will discuss their views and policies on structural reforms and how to improve the business climate and allow the African private sector to flourish.

The plenary sessions will highlight the Africa CEO Forum’s commitment to accelerating regional integration in all economic zones of the continent, in particular, strengthening ties between Anglophone and Francophone countries.

President Mahama’s decision to participate in the Forum, which comes in the wake of a recent terrorist attack at Grand Bassam in Côte d’Ivoire, is to show symbolic solidarity with the Ivoirians.

Similarly, African business leaders such as Aliko Dangote and Jonathan Oppenheimer and some of the largest international investors including AXA, Olam and CFAO have also reiterated their determination to participate.

Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are neighbours, with similar economic structures and are both drivers of economic growth in West Africa.

These two countries can contribute significantly to accelerating regional integration in the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.