Regional News of Tuesday, 13 December 2005

Source: GNA

Ghana and Burkina Faso to cooperate

From: George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Special Correspondent, Ouahigouya.

Ouahigouya (Burkina Faso), Dec 13, GNA - The Wa Municipal Assembly on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ouahigouya, the capital of the Yatenga Province of Burkina Faso, as sister cities. Under the agreement, signed by the two Municipal Chief executives following a three-day meeting at Ouahigouya, the two cities would seek areas of cooperation in order to promote development. Ouahigouya is about 180 kilometres north of Ouogadougou and is the third largest city in Burkina Faso.

Mr Mac Adams Banda, the Wa Municipal Executive, at the weekend led a 60- member delegation to the city to sign the agreement. Under the agreement, the two cities would among other things share ideas in irrigation, cultural activities that could promote peace and development, good governance and economic development. Mr Banda said the establishment of such sister cities would not only promote business and economic development but would also help to remove the bottlenecks that had over the years impeded the socio-cultural development of the two countries.

Mr Simplice Ouadrego, the Mayor of Ouahigouya, said the relationship would help them learn from Ghana's agricultural practices, cultural diversity and industrialization. He said the relationship would also be used as a springboard towards the re-establishment of good relationship that existed between the two countries before colonization.