Comoros Islands

Political relations

On 21 June 2013, President François Hollande of France and President Ikililou Dhoinine of the Comoros signed the “Paris declaration on friendship and cooperation between France and the Union of the Comoros” to reshape the bilateral relationship. A strengthened political dialogue was opened with the creation of a “High Joint Council” (HCP) which has met five times.

After a few tense months due to the decision of the Comoros authorities on 21 March 2018 to cease readmitting the country’s citizens who illegally entered Mayotte, the signing of a joint declaration by the respective Foreign Ministers of the two countries on 6 November 2018 breathed new life into our bilateral cooperation.

During President Azali’s official visit to France in July 2019, a renewed partnership framework document was signed, involving mutual commitments to effectively combat human tragedies at sea. It came with a development plan worth €150 million over three years in health, education and employment, especially youth employment.

The monitoring body for the framework document, the High-Level French-Comorian Committee, met in Moroni on 20 and 21 November 2019. Progress was discussed during a videoconference between the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and his Comorian counterpart, Mr Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, on 8 February 2021.

Economic relations

Exports from France to the Comoros: €36 million (2019 French Treasury figure)
French imports from the Comoros: €14 million (2019 French Treasury figure)

The volume of bilateral trade almost doubled between 2009 and 2019, rising from €25 million to €49 million. The Union of the Comoros is our 139th largest customer in the world.

Several major French companies are present in the Comoros, including Colas (operation of a quarry and gravel crushing), Lafarge (creation of a cement bagging plant), Bolloré, BIC-Comores (BNP Paribas), Air Austral-Ewa Air, Camusat (telecommunications manufacturer working on a coast surveillance project worth €25 million), Telco (subsidiary of the French-Malagasy group Telma (Free)), Eiffage (construction and public works) and InnoVent (solar power plants). Some 15 small companies specialized in trade are also present, originating in mainland France or La Réunion or belonging to binationals.
• Diaspora remittances to the Comoros are considerable (representing 18%-25% of GDP).
• The competent economic section is that of the Embassy of France in Madagascar.