Peduase, Sept. 8, GNA - President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea on a state visit to Ghana, on Tuesday commended his Ghanaian counterpart John Evans Atta Mills for his impeccable sincerity and transparency.

He said Africa needed such rare qualities to move the continent forward.

President Mbasogo also commended the Government and people of Ghana for their kind hospitality and the willingness to share what they had with sister African countries.

President Mbasogo made the commendation when he responded to a toast proposed by President Mills, during a working launch in his honour after closed door bilateral talks at the Peduase Lodge, near Aburi in the Eastern Region.

President Mbasogo said Africans could move the continent forward with joint efforts and called for increased collaboration among nations for Africa's accelerated development.

According to President Mbasogo, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea could collaborate both as African states and countries along the Gulf of Guinea. He said it had become even more necessary for the two countries to join hands for development if colonial powers could exploit such geographical and political similarities to their advantage.

The Equatorial Guinea President, who is being accompanied by a 66-member delegation at the invitation of President Mills, is to reciprocate that of President Mills last May.

Mr Mbasosgo said such joint efforts were also necessary to address illnesses and diseases that affected the continent and make life easier for its people.

The relations between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea dated back to history when Tetteh Quarshie travelled to Fernando Po (now Bioko in today's Equatorial Guinea), and transformed the economy of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) with his introduction of cocoa beans on his return. Hitherto, palm-oil and rubber were the main staple industries in Ghana.

In recent years, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea are making efforts to strengthen their bilateral ties with the visits of the Presidents of the two countries to the other.

Equatorial Guinea is one of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producers with about 250,000 barrels per day.

During that meeting, the two leaders signed an agreement for Ghana to lift two million barrels of crude oil from Equatorial Guinea annually, and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation effected the first lifting of about one million and fifty thousand barrels under that contract last July.

In addition to the oil deal, Equatorial Guinea is seeking Ghana's expertise to support Equatorial Guinea to co-host the 2012 African Nations Cup with Gabon.

President Mbasogo lauded Ghana's democratic credentials, and the political transparency, which had become a shining example for other African countries.

President Mills stressed unity and co-operation among African nations and dwelt on the things that united them to propel their development.

The two leaders and their ministerial delegations have held talks on wide range of issues including energy, oil and gas, marine transportation, tourism, education labour and technology transfer.

President Mbasogo would visit the SIDLACO fertilizer factory on the Accra Tema Motorway and the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo in the Eastern Region.

He leaves on Friday after the two nations would have signed a joint communiqu=E9 on the visit.