Ghana, Togo resolve to deepen bilateral ties

Ghana and Togo have resolved to deepen co-operation, as well as strengthen the ties of friendship that exist between them in the sectors of security, immigration, agriculture and water, health, trade, digital economy, environment, energy, transport and the issue of maritime borders.

A communiqué issued at the end of the official visit of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the Republic of Togo noted that, together with President Faure Gnassingbe, both leaders have indicated their willingness to activate “the High level permanent joint Commission of cooperation between the two countries.”

On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, the two leaders visited the Joint Border Post at Noepe and Akanu. Despite the commissioning of the post some 3 years ago, it is yet to function. To this end, the two Presidents instructed their respective Ministers to speed up the interconnection of Customs IT systems so as to operationalize the post, and aid in the free movement of goods and persons across the Ghana/Togo border.

With reference to agriculture, the single largest occupation of the populace of both countries, the two leaders called for the intensification of technical cooperation, and the exchange of experience between the two countries, particularly in aquaculture, and the development of coffee, cocoa and cashew nuts.

On the Sogakopé-Lomé drinking water supply project, the two Heads of State stressed the need to speed up the implementation of the project, as the ripple effects of this project will be of immense benefit to the two countries.

President Akufo-Addo and President Gnassingbe also expressed their determination to strengthen actions to combat illegal timber trade, and tasked their respective ministers to put in place the appropriate mechanisms to this end. Touching on the continuation of the programme of electrification of the localities along the borders of their respective countries, the two countries renewed their commitment to ensuring the completion of the joint hydroelectric dam project in Juale.

In the area of road infrastructure, the two Presidents instructed their respective Ministers to seek funding in the ECOWAS framework for the construction and rehabilitation of the roads linking Kemerida-Kara-Nachamba, in Togo, and Tatale-Yendi, in Ghana.

Addressing the issue of common borders between the two countries, President Gnassingbe and President Akufo-Addo agreed to give priority to high level dialogue, instead of resorting to the courts to answer the delimitation of their maritime boundaries, on the basic of the principle of equity and the right of each country to have a sea front.

At the end of his visit, President Akufo-Addo expressed his deepest gratitude to President Faure Gnassingbe for the warm and fraternal welcome extended to him and his delegation. He extended an invitation to his Togolese counterpart to pay a reciprocal visit to Ghana, an invitation which was accepted by President Gnassingbe.