General News of Monday, 16 October 2017

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Ouattarra arrives in Ghana for two-day visit

Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian President play videoAlassane Ouattara, Ivorian President

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara arrived in Accra on Monday heading a delegation of ten ministers of that country to begin a two-day official visit to Ghana.

Mr Ouatarra and his accompanying delegation were met at the Jubilee Lounge of the Kotoka International by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Upon his arrival, the Ivorian leader inspected a full guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Air Force, amidst the customary national salute of 21 guns, after which President Akufo-Addo and President Ouattara took a drive through Accra’s principal streets, lined with cheering flag-waving school children, Ivorian nationals in Ghana and people from diverse walks of life.

The two Presidents, after the State drive, retired to the Flagstaff House for closed-door talks that is expected to culminate in the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement, which the ministers of both nations are currently deliberating on.

Both leaders will address the media on Tuesday, October 17, 2017.

The visit, a reciprocal one, following President Akufo-Addo’s visit to Cote d’Ivoire at the beginning of his tour of ECOWAS countries, is expected to shore-up the cordial relations between both countries, as well as enable both nations explore other areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of their people.

President Akufo-Addo would host President Ouattara to a State Dinner in his honour at the Accra International Conference Centre later in the evening.

Prior to President Ouattara’s departure, on Tuesday, the two countries would sign a bilateral agreement, and inaugurate a joint commission for the implementation of the recent judgement passed by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the delimitation of the maritime boundaries of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.