Netherlands asked to assist Ghana Air Force

Accra, Jan. 29, GNA - Defence Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor on Monday appealed to the Netherlands to extend the military cooperation between Ghana and that country to include the training of pilots for the Ghana Air Force.

Additionally, Netherlands should assist the Post Graduate Medical School at the 37th Military Hospital with consultants and specialist surgeons to improve on the academic training and service delivery.

Dr Addo-Kufuor made the appeal when the new Netherlands Ambassador in Ghana, Mrs Lidi Remmelzwaal called on him at Burma camp in Accra.

The Ambassador's call was to further strengthen existing ties between both countries and to familiarize herself with the Ministry of Defence.

Dr Addo-Kufuor expressed appreciation to Netherlands for the support given the Ministry, particularly the assistance it rendered in the construction of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC).

Netherlands provided 1.4 million Euros towards the setting up of the KAIPTC.

He expressed the hope that her tenure would open up new areas of cooperation between the Ghana Armed Forces and the Netherlands, especially with the Ghana Air Force where it already had a contract. Military co-operation between Ghana and the Netherlands has been limited mainly to the Ghana Air Force. In times past, Ghana used to train pilots in that country but the facility is no longer available. Ties between the Air Force and the Netherlands are currently limited to the refurbishment of the Air force's Fokker aircrafts in Holland.

Ambassador Remmelzwaal said her country had partnered Ghana in many ways including private sector development.

In her opinion, Ghana's Defence Ministry was playing an important role in the quest for global peace and stability with its contribution to peacekeeping operations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) standby force.

She said her country considered the work of the KAIPTC important, and would want to continue to be involved with the institution even though her country's support for the Centre would come to an end in the next four months.

The Ambassador expressed the hope that relations between both countries would be strengthened during her stay.