Hollande lauds Mahama over West Africa's stability

French President Francois Hollande has lauded President John Mahama for helping bring stability to the West African subregion during his tenure as chair of ECOWAS.

In a meeting on Monday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, President Hollande referred to the developments in Burkina Faso last year and in September this year, and the leadership of President Mahama in ensuring a peaceful and smooth management of the two situations.

As Chair of ECOWAS, President Mahama also brought the bloc’s influence to bare on the elections in Nigeria and Togo, ahead of his handing over to Senegal's Macky Sall.

President Mahama's role in the subregion's management of the Ebola outbreak and his involvement in ensuring maritime security along the Gulf of Guinea also came up for mention.

The two leaders who were meeting for the second time also discussed the security situation in the West African subregion, the Economic Partnership Agreement and French support for development projects in Ghana.

France has meanwhile agreed to provide through the French Development Agency (AfD) a €37.50 million financing for the second phase of the Kumasi Roads and Drainage Extension Project. This involves the construction of the Lake Road/ Oforikrom bypass and the Aboabo drainage works.

President Mahama expressed appreciation to President Hollande for his support during the Ebola outbreak and France's role in stabilising the situation in Mali and other parts of the subregion.

He also thank France for agreeing to support the training of teachers in the teaching and learning of French in Ghanaian schools.