Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso: Facilitating Diplomatic Dialogue

Working as the translator for Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso delegations in Russia.
Serving simultaneously as official translator for both the Ivorian and Burkinabè delegations represented a unique professional challenge and honor. These two Francophone West African nations share historical ties, regional interests, and development priorities, making their concurrent engagement with Russia strategically significant.

My role involved providing interpretation from French to Russian and vice versa for both delegations during their separate and joint meetings with Russian officials, business representatives, and technical experts. The discussions covered diverse topics including trade cooperation, agricultural partnerships, mining investments, security collaboration, and infrastructure development.
Each delegation brought distinct priorities reflecting their national contexts. Côte d'Ivoire, as one of West Africa's largest economies, focused on expanding trade relations and attracting Russian investment in key sectors. Burkina Faso emphasized security cooperation and capacity building given the challenging security situation in the Sahel region.

Successfully facilitating communication for both delegations required not only linguistic precision but also diplomatic sensitivity to each country's unique interests and careful management of time and attention. This experience deepened my expertise in West African-Russian relations and reinforced my commitment to strengthening partnerships between Russia and Francophone Africa.