GAF ready to deepen defence cooperation with Russia – Major General Annan

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has expressed readiness to deepen bilateral defence cooperation with the Russian Federation, particularly in the areas of training and capacity building.

The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) in charge of Operations and Training, Major General (Maj Gen) Glover Annan, said the GAF was committed to strengthening the existing defence relationship between Ghana and Russia through practical areas of cooperation that would be mutually beneficial to both countries.

Maj Gen Annan made the remarks on Tuesday in Accra when he received a delegation from the Department of International Cooperation of the Russian Federation on behalf of the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Joshua Lartei Mensah-Larkai.

According to Maj Gen Annan, the engagement would provide an opportunity for Ghana and Russia to explore areas through which their defence cooperation could be further enhanced, particularly by strengthening training opportunities and building the capacity of personnel.

He disclosed that the Russian delegation would subsequently engage a team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Defence and relevant institutions of the GAF for further discussions on the proposed areas of cooperation.

The DCOS said the engagements were expected to culminate in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which would provide a formal framework for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation between Ghana and Russia.

He noted that the proposed framework would place particular emphasis on training and capacity building, which he said were important components of the planned cooperation.

The DCOS expressed the hope that the discussions would pave the way for mutually beneficial areas of cooperation and further strengthen the relationship between Ghana and Russia.

The leader of the Russian delegation, Mr Ilya Shortski, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the Russian Federation to supporting and promoting the bilateral relationship between Ghana and Russia.

Mr Shortski expressed optimism that the discussions would result in fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

He said that following the signing of the relevant documents, Ghana and Russia would coordinate the various projects and initiatives to ensure their effective implementation.