Ghana and South Africa on Friday signed an agreement to strength bilateral relations and cooperation in the fields of social, political, defense, and security.

Ghana's Foreign Minister Hanna Serwaah Tetteh signed for Ghana while Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, initialed for her country at the opening session of the 4th Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) between the two countries.

The session provided an opportunity for both sides to further identify and explore more mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.

Tetteh encouraged the South African side to expedite its follow-up activities so that they could see real tangible programs, projects and initiatives coming out of this Joint Commission.

She said the agreement under the framework of social cooperation also needed to be pursued with the same amount of vigor as the two nations pursued their economic cooperation.

She said both countries would like to make this a relationship of the peoples of the Republic of Ghana and South Africa and not just governments and the business sector of both countries.

"And so we recognize that there is still some work to be done. We want to give you our full support and encouragement and we hope that you will be proactive about the follow-up so that we are able to achieve all of the things that you have identified as possibilities for us to work together to enhance our relationship," said Tetteh.

Nkoana-Mashabane said it was in the hands of the current generation to indeed do something that they would be remembered for.

She said both nations had a duty to ensure that these legal and enabling instruments bore fruits for their citizens.

Ghana is a strategic partner for South Africa and is her second largest trading partner in the West African region.

The PJCC between Ghana and South Africa was established in 2007 to promote political, economic, and social cooperation between the two countries.