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President Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau has called on African nations to redouble efforts to improve trade among themselves under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said this would lead to value addition to natural resources culminating in the establishment of local factories, a resultant job creation and development of the continent.
President Embalo made the call at a joint press briefing with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra. It formed part of his three-day state visit to the country.
This was after President Embalo, who was accompanied by some high-level government officials, had inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Navy and given a 21-gun salute.
President Embalo commended Ghana for its lead role and commitment to ensuring that Africa developed stronger and well-resourced financial institutions that could drive and finance the development agenda of the continent.
He mentioned the African Central Bank (ACB), the African Monetary Fund (AMF), the African Investment Bank (AIB) and the Pan-African Stock Exchange (PASE), as some of the institutions.
In 2020, the African Union (AU) appointed President Akufo-Addo as the Champion for the establishment of the African Union Financial Institutions. President Embalo expressed his country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest with Ghana.
“I am here to reiterate our conviction that together we will walk hand in hand in the spirit of brotherhood through complementarity and solidarity to achieve many important objectives”, he said, adding that the two countries will continue to share experiences and expertise in important fields such as education, technology, agriculture, economy and finance, as well as defence and security.
Ghana’s role
President Embalo further said: “It is here in Accra that many freedom fighters found their inspiration, the needed political and material support to conduct the heroic struggles for the liberation of their countries from foreign domination and occupation.”
On safety and security, he said, the West Africa region and the Sahel were facing many challenges such as drug trafficking and terrorism, and urged the people to uphold the tenets of democracy and good governance.
He gave an assurance that his country would continue to work with Ghana to engender accountability through the implementation of the necessary reforms in ECOWAS and the AU.
President Akufo-Addo said the ministerial teams of the two countries held discussions on the deepening of bilateral relations between them. “Discussions on education, trade and industry, agriculture, fisheries and agriculture, environment, science and technology, petroleum and hydrocarbon activities and tourism were held in an atmosphere of cordiality,” he added.
In the fisheries sector, the President said they identified areas for potential collaboration for joint partnership between private companies of both countries.
President Akufo-Addo said Ghana was part of the ECOWAS stabilisation support mission which was stationed in Bissau since the attempted coup of February 2022, in that country.
“The Ghanaian contingent has the honour and responsibility of providing security to the President and the presidential palace,” he said. The President said that Guinea Bissau held a special place in Ghana's foreign policy for which reason the country was committed to supporting the latter’s effort to consolidate democracy, strengthen institutions, and promote socio-economic progress for the people.
