Ghana and Angola, as part of efforts to enhance existing bilateral relations, deepen the bonds of friendship and solidarity, as well as explore new areas for cooperation, held the 6th Session of the Bilateral Commission for Cooperation (BCC) from 17th to 19th February, 2024. Hosted by the Ministry of External Relations of the Republic of Angola in the beautiful city of Luanda, the BCC convened in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, deliberated on matters pertinent to the political, economic and social progress of the two countries.
The Ghana delegation was led by Honourable Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong (MP), Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in charge of Political and Economic Affairs, whiles the Angolan delegation was led by His Excellency Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes, Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities of the Ministry of External Relations of Angola.
The two leaders, at the meeting, held a fruitful dialogue during which they acknowledged the excellent bonds of friendship and solidarity that exist between the two countries. These excellent bonds were said to be further underscored by the high esteem and respect that characterised the relations between the respective Heads of State, His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana. To this end, both sides applauded the positive development of relations between the two brotherly countries in recent years, reinforced by two historic meetings between their Heads of State, that took place during the official visit of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to Luanda from 8th to 9th August, 2019, and the official visit of H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to Accra from 2nd to 3rd August, 2021.
On the bilateral level, both Heads of delegations expressed satisfaction with the progress made in various areas of cooperation since the last session of the Bilateral Commission for Cooperation that was held in Accra in 2012. The two dignitaries further acknowledged the need to enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in the sectors of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Commerce and Trade, Transport, Health, Oil and Gas, Tourism, Art and Culture, Media, Youth and Sports, Agriculture and Forestry, among others.
At the end of the Session, 9 Memoranda of Understanding were finalised and signed between various institutions of the two countries covering the sectors of Higher Education, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Export Promotion, Television and Radio Broadcasting, Language Proficiency, International Relations and Peacekeeping Training as well as Petroleum, Oil and Gas. Position Papers on Defence, Immigration, Interior, Aviation, Ports and Harbours, Trade and Commerce, Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries were also noted as viable areas for future collaboration.
Furthermore, the leaders of the two delegations exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest and also expressed the readiness of their respective Governments to contribute towards finding solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting the global community. The two sides reaffirmed their unwavering support, within the framework of the African Union and other multilateral arrangements, to the pursuit of economic development, promotion of peace and stability in the continent.
Guided by common interest and mutual respect, the 6th Ghana-Angola BCC ended with assurances and expression of goodwill from both sides for continued engagements towards the development of frameworks for the implementation of the various MoUs signed during the Session. The successful holding of the Session is a testament to the level of commitment of both countries to the shared desire to re-vitalise and re-prioritise bilateral engagements for the economic growth of Ghana and Angola, and the well-being of their peoples.
