Accra, Oct. 20, GNA – Ghana and Congo on Thursday decided to develop and create opportunities for trade and commerce between the two countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This was the outcome of bilateral talks between President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Congolese counterpart, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, when the latter called at the Jubilee House, Accra as part of his three-day visit to Ghana.
The meeting which underscored the need for the two countries to deepen their trade relations and bonds of friendship noted that AfCFTA, which aim was to increase the volume of trade among countries on the continent, was a good opportunity for trade between Ghana and Congo.
Both leaders also discussed the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and Central Africa and dwelt on the need to work together to fight the nuisance.
President Akufo-Addo said it was time the two countries Congo strengthened ties that dated back to when Congo achieved independence from Belgium in 1960.
“We know that relations between us go way back to Congolese Independence. The first serious foreign policy initiatives in Ghana had to do with the dispatch of Ghanaian troops by President Nkrumah to assist the then prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, under the UN peacekeeping mandate and ever since then, Ghana has become a strong peacekeeping country sending troops.
So, these are strong relations, and we think that the time has come to enhance and build those relations even stronger than they have been in the past. We are very happy to have you here,” he said.
Touching on the security situation on the African continent, President Akufo-Addo noted that those were matters of common concern in both countries.
“We have a lot of security issues in West Africa, which I am sure you are fully abreast of. The Jihadist menace which we have here come from the Sahel which is next door to us in Burkina Faso to the North of our country is a major concern for us.
“In the same vein, you have these same kinds of people in the central part of the Continent, which is also a problem for you. I think that that provides us with an opportunity to be able to have some clear ideas of how we can all work together to rid our continent of this menace,” he pointed out.
President Tshilombo also noted that the volatile security situation in his country was largely due to the support being given to rebels fighting his country by neighbouring Rwanda.
He appealed to President Akufo-Addo to help fight the resurgence of violent extremists in Congo, requesting that Ghana leverages its position on the United Nations Security Council Security Council (UNSC) to get Rwanda sanctioned for supporting non-state actors disturbing the peace in that country.
The Congolese leader also urged President Akufo-Addo to press the UNSC to lift the arms purchase embargo placed on the DRC to enable the country to purchase arms and ammunition to defend its sovereignty.
GNA