Bolgatanga, July 1, GNA - The Upper East Region is hosting a two-day tripartite meeting involving Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo at Bolgatanga. It is to strengthen cross-border relationship and socio-economic and political progress among the three countries. The countries, which share common borders, have since 2009 been collaborating with one another to form a common platform, to promote cross-border cohesion, peaceful co-existence, the movement of people and goods and to form bonds of friendship between their citizens. Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo have also been sharing experiences in security, health, transport, trade, animal husbandry, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child trafficking.

They have also supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)in its efforts to attain socio-economic and political development i= n the West African sub-region. Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, speaking at the opening ceremony of the event at Bolgatanga, said the meeting would enable the participants to review achievements and challenges so far made by the three ECOWAS countries. He said that since the initiation of the tripartite meeting in 2009, there had been positive developments, especially in the area of security an= d free movement of persons and goods. Mr Mark Woyongo commended the Government of Togo for helping the Ghanaian authorities to arrest Johnson Kombien, who committed crime in Ghan= a and fled to Togo. He said Bawku Municipal Assembly, Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Bawku West District Assembly, Kessena-Nankana East District Assembly, in the Uppe= r East Region have established sister relationship with their counterparts in Burkina Faso.

Mr Woyongo said some parts of the Region were collaborating with their counterparts in Burkina Faso to implement a project on good governance with funding from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ?This project brings three District Assemblies in the Eastern Zone of the Region in close collaboration with their counterparts in Burkina Faso t= o protect, conserve and share common resources of the White Volta, which flow= s through their territories?, he said. Mr Woyongo called on the leaders of the three countries to sustain their efforts at deepening regional integration, emphasizing that, ?we can support our respective national governments to break the chains and shackle of poverty, hunger and disease holding our own people?. The Governor of Central East of Burkina Faso, Mr Simeon Sawadogo, note= d that the people of the three countries shared common experiences in the are= a of culture, trade, commerce and agriculture, adding that they were only separated by artificial boundaries created by colonial masters. He called on the people of the three countries to help their leaders i= n curbing highway robbery, human trafficking and FGM among others. Mr Sawadogo said Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo were collectively implementing the Bagre Dam and White Volta Basin Projects to the benefit of their people. The Governor of Savannah Region of Togo, Alhaji Musah Yamba Ali Seidu, expressed gratitude that free movement of goods and services existed among the three countries, and noted that highway robbery, human trafficking and FGM had reduced considerably.