Address by Prof. Robert Dussey

Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Benin dear Aurélien AGBÉNONCI,

Minister of the Interior and Public Security of the Republic of Benin,

Dear colleagues Ministers of the Togolese delegation,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The proximity between our two countries, Togo and Benin, is not only spatial. Besides the choice of nature to make our two countries immediate neighbors – nature doing nothing without reason tells us KANT -, deep historical ties link our two nations, but also fraternal links which constitute the background and the motivational basis of our cooperative relationships.

The facilities made available to the Togolese delegation since our arrival and the hospitality regime reserved for us convinces us of the excellence of the relations of friendship and fraternal proximity between Togo and Benin. I would like to take this opportunity to convey to His Excellency Patrice TALON, President of the Republic of Benin, the fraternal and friendly greetings from His Excellency Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Republic of Togo.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The cooperative relations of our two countries are at the heart of these meetings and our governments have made the best choice to work towards their densification. Our co-belonging to the same sub-regional space and our common dependence, sometimes common vulnerabilities and common challenges, impose action on relationships. Paul VALERY did well to qualify our epoch of epoch of meetings and relationships.

Our era is forcing people and states to come together and we have no choice but to cooperate and act together. Acting together, says philosopher Hannah ARENDT, is “inseparable from the appearance-common-of beings”, from the fact that we are together with others, from the fact that existence is co-presence and belonging to the world . Being together provides opportunities to act together and that is what we are doing right now. We have the power to act together and we act.

The framework agreement for cross-border cooperation and the memorandum of understanding that we signed today endow relations between our two States with new normative frameworks in an historic time when we need to cooperate more for development, to cooperate more for regional and African integration, to cooperate more for the security and stability of each of our countries and the sub-region.

More cooperation for development since our two countries have common challenges linked to the emergence, more cooperation for regional and African integration since a better integrated Africa can only be credible and audible on the world stage, more cooperation for security, a primary public good, the enjoyment of which conditions and promotes the realization of the fundamental human right of our populations and our developing States.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The West African sub-region is the framework for the presence of our states in the world – and if ARISTOTE is right when he puts the primacy of the Whole over the Party – we cannot deal with the problem of the internal security of our countries regardless of the security situation in the sub-region. National security requires endogenous efforts, but it also requires the governments of the subregion for cooperation and a coalition of means. Networking national security strategies is the solution today.

The fight against crime, maritime piracy, cyber-insecurity and terrorism and the action which they imply, on both sides of our borders, must be deployed within the framework of a shared vision of responsibilities which urges each party to work in a spirit of co-dependence and co-responsibility.

Our States deploy efforts in this vision by evolving their paradigms and conceptions of intelligence with the exercise in sharing of some of their traditional royal attributes and we are convinced that the option for the reinforcement and the acceleration of the impulses of cooperation cross-border is good because it is lucid and in tune with the spirit of the times.

Besides, the challenges are great and impose on us the need to intensify cooperation between our two countries. The Togolese government remains convinced that effective cooperation between the Togolese and Beninese security, intelligence and civil protection services will allow our two states to consolidate their respective capacities to respond to current security challenges. Faced with cross-border challenges, we need coordinated and effective cross-border action.

Thank you for your attention.

The Togolese diplomat, Robert Dussey, met his Norwegian counterpart, Ine Eriksen Søreide, on Friday, 09 November in Oslo.

The discussion focused on economic cooperation, security and stability issues in Africa.

Mr Dussey participated yesterday at the Nordic-Africa Summit whose theme was the promotion of the blue economy, maritime activities and new energies. So many topics that interest Togo whose ambition is to become a logistics hub.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs was the guest on the morning of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) for a conference on violent extremism and security challenges in West Africa.

Participants wondered about the role that can play preventive diplomacy.

Mr. Dussey was joined by Øystein H. Rolandsen and Jenny Lorentzen, researchers at PRIO. Founded in 1959, this institute conducts research on conditions conducive to peaceful relations between states. The PRIO analyzes how conflicts break out and how they can be solved, but also how companies deal with crises and crisis threats.

PRIO develops theoretical knowledge and refines research methodologies.

This academic excellence must have a significant impact on societies, say the leaders of the institute.

African integration is becoming more concrete. Togolese will go to the Central African Republic without a visa and vice versa. Togolese wishing to visit Central African Republic will no longer need visas. The foreign ministers of Togo and Central African Republic, respectively Robert Dussey and Charles Armel Doubane, signed an exemption agreement on Sunday in Lome.

This measure applies to all passports: ordinary, service and diplomatic passports.

The Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, President-in-Office of the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS, chaired on October 27 in Nouakchott the first session of the Association Council between Mauritania and the West African organization.

Mauritania and ECOWAS signed an association agreement last August in Lomé. The organization would have preferred Nouakchott to present a readmission dossier, but finally the solution of associate state status has been validated.

The country left the West African group 17 years ago.

The agreement became effective; It remains to set the terms and implementation before formal ratification.

The Council underlined the importance of this association which will contribute to increase trade between the States, to stimulate the investment and the development in Mauritania, underlines a statement published Sunday.

Mauritania should quickly join the Common External Tariff (CET) and the Trade Liberalization Scheme (SLE).

On the Mauritanian side, several personalities took part in the Association Council, including Minister for Trade and Industry Naha Mint Hamdi Ould Mouknass and Foreign Minister Isselkou Ahmed Izud Bih.

During his stay in Nouakchott, Robert Dussey was received by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Nicolas Berlanga-Martinez, the European ambassador to Togo arrives at the end of his mission. A stay has been used to deeply anchor the relationship between the EU and Togo in terms of development aid, strengthening good governance or combating climate change

The Spanish diplomat has campaigned in the European bodies to ensure that Togo is given substantial support under the 11th EDF.

‘We are confident about the future of our relations with the European Union in the light of the solid milestones you have had to ask in recent years,’ said Foreign Minister Robert Dussey on Tuesday evening, A dinner in honor of Mr. Berlanga-Martinez.

Mr Dussey described the European representative as ‘a great friend of Togo’. He commended his presence and his dynamism.

‘You are leaving Togo with your head high in view of the spectacular achievements you leave behind,’ said the head of Togolese diplomacy.

Togo strikes at the door of the Commonwealth, the intergovernmental organization whose English is the common language. Togo has embarked on the process since 2014 and missions have multiplied in recent months in the Togolese capital. Is Togo really on the footsteps of Rwanda, the second African country to join the Commonwealth in 2009 after Mozambique?

For its heading “THREE QUESTIONS A”, Agence Savoir News approached Mr. Robert Dussey, Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Savoir News: Togo is fighting to join the Commonwealth. At the present stage, can we say that the dossier is evolving with “big steps”?

Robert Dussey: Thank you. I would first like to say that the evaluation process is done in four stages. This is the second time that a Commonwealth mission has been in Togo within five months. At each of their missions in Lomé, the experts met with several actors and institutions of the Republic. Everything went well.

In short, the issue of Togo is well on the way and we are optimistic for the rest of the process!

What are the advantages of Togo?

Togo is a politically stable country, where there is peace and democracy. In this respect, we have quite dynamic political, economic and social institutions capable of playing a regulatory role in terms of transparency and fairness to citizens.

Linguistically and culturally, Togo already has a strong English tradition, given that English is the second foreign language studied in the Togolese educational system, but also in trade. It should be noted that the Anglo-Saxon model is highly appreciated by the populations and Togo has strong relations with the English-speaking countries of the region, especially with neighboring Ghana and Nigeria.

Geographically, our country has a strategic position with enormous assets, including a deep water port, the only one in the West African zone, which opens up the countries of the hinterland (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali).

Lomé is also a crossroads city of great international meetings, where there is a strong English presence. We therefore have indisputable assets for our membership in the Commonwealth.

The accession of Togo will give concretely what? (Eg diplomatic and economic).

Togo’s accession to the Commonwealth will enable it to integrate a large family of 52 friendly and allied states. Togo will have the opportunity to broaden the scope of its state relations and further diversify its relations of friendship and cooperation, making new friends and getting closer to its old friends such as Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and so on.

On the economic front, the Commonwealth, through the Technical Cooperation Fund (CFTC) and the Association of Commonwealth Countries, plays an important role in the economic and social progress of its members, acting on their pace of economic growth .

Togo which has a growth rate (5 to 6%) will be able to benefit from these channels to boost its economy. Furthermore, from a commercial standpoint, the Commonwealth constitutes a large external market (more than 2 billion consumers) for exports of Togolese national products. END

Interview by Junior AUREL

The fourth session of Togo-Ghana Joint Commission opened on Thursday July, 27th in Accra. The Togolese delegation headed by Foreign Minister Robert Dussey also includes Security Minister Yark Damehame, his health colleague, Moustafa Mijiyawa, the Director General of the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) and the police .

“This 4th session of the Mixed Commission reflects the commitment of our two countries to develop cooperation that fosters the development of our two peoples,” Dussey said at the opening of the meeting.

He said Togo and Ghana shared the core values ​​of democracy, stability, good governance and the fight against corruption.

The accession to the presidency of Faure Gnassingbé’s CEDAO should be an asset to boost bilateral trade, said the head of Togolese diplomacy.

For two days, discussions will focus on defense and security, judicial cooperation, social action, tourism development, trade, territorial administration, telecommunications and customs cooperation.

Under the presidency of ECOWAS, President of the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS, the Foreign Minister of Togo, Prof. Robert Dussey and ECOWAS Commission President Marcel Alain de Souza held a working session today at the ECOWAS headquarters in Lomé.

This meeting allowed the two personalities to visit all the ECOWAS Institutions represented in the Togolese Republic.

Several working sessions are held with, among others:

• Ambassador Permanent Representative of ECOWAS to Togo
• The President of BIDC (Investment and Development Bank of ECOWAS)
• The Director of the CIC (Community Information Center)
• The Director of ARAA (Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food)
• The Director of the PPDU (ECOWAS Projects Preparation and Development Unit)
• And the Director of the Brown Insurance Card

Click to view the pictures