French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called his Cote d'Ivoire counterpart Laurent Gbagbo to discuss the country's peace process, according to Cote d'Ivoire's presidential office.
During the telephone conversation which took place Thursday, Sarkozy expressed "his profound satisfaction" over the successful conclusion of the "flame of peace" ceremony that was held Monday in Bouake "in the presence of Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore, who is also the facilitator of Cote d'Ivoire's peace process, as well several other African heads of states," according to a statement published by the presidential office.
President Sarkozy encouraged his counterpart "to push forward with the implementation of the entire Ouagadougou peace agreement and to initiate new measures with a view to ensuring that the country will hold free and fair elections at the end of the peace process," according to the statement.
On his side, President Gbagbo thanked his French counterpart and called on France to continue lending support to the implementation of the Ouagadougou peace agreement," which is the " only way to end the crisis" facing the country, according to the statement.
After close to five years of a bitter conflict that has left Cote d'Ivoire divided into two, President Gbagbo and Soro, secretary general of the FN rebel group initiated direct negotiations that led to the conclusion of a peace agreement in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, on March 4, 2007. And in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, Soro was named Cote d'Ivoire's prime minister with the specific task of spearheading the search for lasting peace in the country.
It is this agreement that made it possible for President Gbagbo to visit Bouake, stronghold of the former New Forces (FN) rebels, for the first time in five years on Monday in order to take part in the "flame of peace" ceremony that marked the official launch of the disarmament and reconciliation process in the country.
Source: Xinhua
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