Ghana, Egypt deepen cooperation in health, defence and housing

President John Dramani Mahama has held talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on strengthening cooperation between Ghana and Egypt in healthcare, defence and housing.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit, where the two leaders discussed areas of mutual interest and Ghana’s development priorities.

President Mahama said the discussions also focused on strengthening the historic ties between the two countries and advancing their shared development goals.

“Our discussions highlighted the historic pan-African bond established by Dr Kwame Nkrumah and President Gamal Abdel Nasser. We reaffirmed our commitment to advancing our nations’ and the continent’s development goals,” President Mahama said in a social media post on Monday, October 5.

President Mahama expressed Ghana’s appreciation to President el-Sisi and Egypt for their support for Ghana’s reparations resolution at the United Nations.

The two leaders also agreed to streamline the registration of Egyptian pharmaceutical products in Ghana as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare and attract investment into the sector.

On security, President Mahama said Ghana and Egypt agreed to strengthen cooperation through intelligence sharing, capacity building and counter-terrorism initiatives.

The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to continued support for the Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord as part of efforts to address security threats in the region.

President Mahama further said Ghana would seek Egypt’s technical expertise as the country plans a new capital city and expands its social housing programme.

“As Ghana plans a new capital city and expands social housing, we look forward to leveraging Egypt’s technical expertise and experience from the New Administrative Capital,” he said.