Nautical charts never lie, they tell the story of the depth of a port ambition. It is in this spirit that the Director General of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan (PAA), Kassoum Traoré, granted an audience, on Friday July 3, 2026, to a delegation from the French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM), led by its Director General, Admiral Laurent Kerleguer, General Engineer of Armaments.

This meeting, held on the sidelines of the 19th Conference of the Hydrographic Commission of the Eastern Atlantic (CHAtO-19), organized from July 1 to 3, 2026 at the Azalaï Hotel in Marcory, allowed the two parties to discuss the strategic role of hydrography and marine cartography in the development of maritime and port activities. Exchanges between the PAA and the SHOM highlighted the importance of these disciplines for the safety of navigation, the development of maritime and port areas, as well as the knowledge and monitoring of the seabed. 

Recall that the 19th Conference of the Hydrographic Commission of the Eastern Atlantic (CHAtO-19)l, placed under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Téné Birahima OUATTARA, and co-chaired by Ministers Amadou Koné and Yacouba Hien Sié, brought together delegations from Europe, from West Africa, Central Africa and North Africa.