Senegal and Luxembourg celebrated seven years of strategic partnership on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at the Museum of Black Civilizations. The partnership has been marked by significant progress in the health, vocational, and technical training sectors. The event also provided an opportunity to review the fourth Indicative Cooperation Programme (PIC4), implemented between 2018 and 2025.

The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Laurie Berty, who has been in Senegal for a year, praised the cooperation as "calm, transparent, and based on mutual respect." The PIC4, with a total budget of €9 million, targeted two priority sectors: health and vocational training, with interventions in nine to ten regions of the country. It also incorporated cross-cutting themes such as gender and the environment, marking a turning point in the 30-year history of bilateral relations between Dakar and Luxembourg.

According to Laurie Berty, this collaboration is not only institutional. "The program has distinguished itself through profound human exchanges between the Senegalese and Luxembourgish populations. Today, Senegal is certainly the African country with which Luxembourg maintains the strongest cooperative ties."

The partnership now extends beyond the strict framework of development cooperation. Nearly twenty Luxembourg companies are regularly active in Senegal, particularly in the financial, commercial, and tourism sectors. Luxair, in fact, operates two weekly flights between Dakar and Luxembourg, illustrating the growing exchanges between the two nations.

Concrete impacts on health services

The Minister of Health, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, who presided over the ceremony, praised the cooperation as having a "strong impact on communities." He noted that Luxembourg's support had been provided in areas where the needs were most urgent: strengthening the emergency management system, notably through the deployment of the SAMU (Emergency Medical Service) in several regions; improving maternal and child health through the renovation of maternity wards and the operationalization of new operating theaters; providing fully equipped ambulances to enhance emergency response capacity; and training and professional development for healthcare personnel through scholarships and skills enhancement sessions.

The minister also highlighted Luxembourg's crucial role in the development of vocational high schools, a major focus for youth employability.

Cooperation based on co-construction

For both parties, one of the strengths of PIC4 remains its participatory approach. Dr. Ibrahima Sy emphasized the "ongoing co-construction" that has enabled tangible and lasting results.

"At each stage, we have moved towards a deeper partnership. This explains the quality and relevance of the achievements," he said.

And what comes after PIC4?

The outlook is promising. Both countries wish to consolidate the solid foundation of PIC4 to open a new cycle of cooperation. The targeted areas include economic and financial development, leveraging Luxembourg's expertise in fintech and financial services; research and higher education, with Senegalese doctoral students already trained in Luxembourg; and support for the private sector through the tools of LuxDev and Luxair.

Senegal and Luxembourg are thus preparing to strengthen an already exemplary partnership guided by a common goal: to move forward together in a spirit of friendship and lasting solidarity.