Accra, March 8, GNA- The Chinese government on Monday made available a military assistance grant of 10 million Chinese Yuan ($1.2m)to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to help mitigate the service's mobility problems. The grant would be used to purchase vehicles to beef up GAF's transportation needs as well as for peacekeeping operations.

Ghana's Defence Minister. Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor initialed the agreement on the GAF's behalf, while Maj. Gen. Zhang Bangdon, the visiting Chinese Director of Foreign Affairs of the Office of National Defence of the People's Republic of China initialled for his country at a meeting at the Minister's office at Burma Camp in Accra.

Maj. Gen. Zhang Bangdon is at the head of a six-man delegation from China, who are in the country to acquaint themselves with the Ghana Armed Forces.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor, before signing the agreement said the relations between militaries of both countries dated back to 1977 when China ran a lot of courses for Ghanaian officers in that country.

He said that to show how beneficial those courses were to the GAF, the current Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the GAF were beneficiaries of the Chinese courses. Currently six Ghanaian military officers are undertaking courses in China.

The Minister said the equipment used by the 66 Artillery Regiment at Ho in the Volta Region was Chinese made, saying that Ghana looked forward to further collaboration to have spare parts for the equipment to enhance the Regiment's image.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor said to show the level of cordial relations between both countries, the new Burma Camp barrack project, which is almost complete has been named China Town by a section of the military personnel, adding that he was satisfied with the quality of work of the Chinese contractors handling the project and was looking forward to them to start work on the phase two of the project.

He told the visiting Chinese General that he had held negotiations with the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana for support for the soon to be started new Ministry of Defence building.

Dr. Kufuor said all these initiatives show the level of close collaboration between both countries and the goodwill on both sides. Maj. Gen. Bangdon said China seeks to enhance relations between both forces because his country attaches importance to military-to-military relations between the two nations, Hence the Chinese governments' decision to grant Ghana a 10 million Yuan military assistance.

The gesture demonstrates China's commitment to the development of the military of both countries and that China held a positive view of training between the armed forces of Ghana and China.

Maj. Gen. Bangdon told the Minister that China would continue to provide vacancies for Ghana's defence officers to study in China to enhance the cooperative ability between both militaries.

He took the opportunity to congratulate Ghana on its achievements, saying, "Ghana has been enjoying social stability and improved living standards".

The Chinese General commended the GAF for overcoming its difficulties to move forward as a professional institution and maintaining local and international peace.