Namibia, Ghana enhancing bilateral relations

Namibia and Ghana need to enhance the coordination and exchange reciprocal visits between the countries' various line ministries and agencies, in order to ensure full implementation of decisions taken at previous joint meetings. According to Namibia's Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO) Ambassador Penda Naanda, the two nations also need to increase visibility of their bilateral cooperation to the larger public. Naanda made these remarks on Tuesday during the opening session of the 5th Session of the Namibia-Ghana Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC) taking place in Swakopmund. 'Bilateral cooperation, trade and investment however need to be tangible, to match the status of our political relations. The fifth session therefore affords us an ample opportunity to increase the momentum generated,' he expressed. The ED, who is also the co-chairperson of the meeting, noted there are a large number of issues to discuss after reviewing implementation of the decisions agreed at the 4th JPCC session held in Accra, Ghana in 2022. Co-chairperson of the meeting, Ghana's Coordinating Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ambassador Hannah Nyarko, also emphasised the need to ensure that the agreements entered into by the two countries are real and should bring improvements to their economies. 'The agreements must address also the mutual challenges and capitalise on short term opportunities for each one and therefore, as we commence our discussions today, the Ghanaian delegation reaffirms its commitment to fostering sustainable development promoting economic growth and enhancing cultural exchanges between Ghana and Namibia. 'We believe that together we should aim to achieve tangible outcomes that benefit our peoples and contribute multiple not only regional prosperity, but also continental prosperity,' Nyarko highlighted. The three-day meeting is expected to review the implementation of bilateral agreements and memoranda of coopera tion in a wide range of areas including trade and commerce, agriculture, fisheries, transport, education and training, youth, and sport and culture. Source: The Namibia Press Agency