U.S.-Ivoirian relations have traditionally been friendly and close. Some strain has resulted from the Section 508 restrictions on nonhumanitarian aid imposed on Cote d'Ivoire following the December 1999 coup. Because of Ivoirian governmental interference in the 2000 presidential elections, the Section 508 restrictions were not lifted. New elections are not scheduled until 2005. The U.S. participates in the international effort to assist Cote d'Ivoire in overcoming its current crisis, providing assistance--totaling about $9 million as of fall 2003--to the ECOWAS contingent helping to maintain the ceasefire. The U.S. is sympathetic to Cote d'Ivoire's desire for rapid, orderly economic development as well as its moderate stance on international issues. Bilateral U.S. Agency for International Development funding, with the exception of self-help and democratization funds, has been phased out, although Cote d'Ivoire continues to benefit from regional West African programs. The country remains a major beneficiary of U.S. assistance in combating HIV/AIDS, as the Center for Disease Control bases a large regional program in Abidjan.

The U.S. and Cote d'Ivoire maintain an active cultural exchange program, through which prominent Ivoirian Government officials, media representatives, educators, and scholars visit the U.S. to become better acquainted with the American people and to exchange ideas and views with their American colleagues. This cooperative effort is furthered through frequent visits to Cote d'Ivoire by representatives of U.S. business and educational institutions, and by visits of Fulbright-Hays scholars and specialists in various fields. A new U.S. Embassy chancery compound is scheduled for completion in 2005.

A modest security assistance program that provides professional training for Ivoirian military officers in the U.S. has been suspended by the Section 508 restrictions.

The U.S. Embassy is located at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (tel. 225. 20-21-09-79, fax. 20-22-23-59); mailing address is 01 B.P. 1712, Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire.