Bolgatanga, Oct. 30, GNA - The governor of South Central Region of Burkina Faso, Madam Pauline Hien Winkoun, on Tuesday called on African countries to establish friendly relationship with each other so as to speed up development and sustainable peace in the continent. "It is a matter of survival for us Africans to encourage sub regional integration, support for each other and unity amongst us", she said.

Madam Winkoun said this when she met the Upper East Regional and Deputy Ministers and Heads of Departments in Bolgatanga as part of a two-day visit to the region.

She said the friendship between the two regions had helped Burkina Faso a lot as there had been good cooperation in health, agriculture, security and curbing cattle rustling.

Mr. Alhassan Samari, Regional Minister, lauded cooperation between the two regions and said the visit would focus on common cross-border challenges like free movement of people, goods and services, border insecurity and road transportation, environmental management, human and livestock health and cultural cooperation.

They would also discuss sharing of common water resources, promotion of bilingualism among students of the two regions and sports. "It is my conviction that our combined strength can help us to resolve these issues smoothly. There is already a fair level of cooperation between us and this ought to be raised to a higher level higher until we achieve the ultimate in our relationship", Mr Samari said.

He said there was everything to gain by the good relationship and that two Municipal and two District assemblies in the region had already established Sister-City Relationship with their counterparts in Burkina Faso and urged the other district to do the same. The Regional Minister later led the Governor and her 40-member delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Chief of Bolgatanga, Naba Martin Abilba 111.