President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his desire is to see Ghana and Liberia continually search for ways to co-operate, irrespective of who is at the helm of office of the two countries, stressing that it is important that the two countries forge a new, strong partnership for cooperation for the mutual benefit of their people.

President Akufo-Addo, who is in Liberia on a west African tour, recounted the history of Ghana’s bilateral relations with Liberia, encompassing the times when President William V.S. Tubman of Liberia and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah helped to facilitate the establishment, in 1963, of the Organisation of African Unity.

President Akufo-Addo also referred to the involvement of Ghana in the consolidation of peace and security in Liberia in the last decade, as well as playing host to thousands and thousands of Liberian refugees who fled the civil war.

Through the efforts of Ghana’s Volta River Authority, electricity was extended to post-conflict Monrovia for the first time in 2006.

“Co-operation in the development of our agriculture, education, science and technology, infrastructure, health, energy, and the co-ordination of the exploitation of our mutual natural resources, such as iron ore, diamonds, gold, timber and rubber, would be of immense benefit to our two countries,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.

Despite the good relations that exist between the two countries, there are still a number of outstanding matters, in the areas of fisheries, provision of technical support for technical and vocational education, military co-operation, health and finance, to which President Akufo-Addo assured that “I promise you, they will now be addressed.”