Accra, Sept. 18, GNA – President Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday conferred Ghana’s highest honour, The Companion of
the Order of the Star of Ghana, on the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc
Chrisitan Kabore.
The award, in recognition of his distinguished
leadership and commitment to the progress of his people, Burkina Faso, West
Africa and Africa, is the highest honour that could be bestowed on a foreign
dignitary.
Mr Kabore was in Ghana for a two-day
reciprocal state visit, following President Akufo-Addo’s visit to Burkina Faso
last year.
Conferring the award on the Burkina Faso
leader at a State Lunch in his honour, at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee
House, President Akufo-Addo praised him (Mr Kabore) for his distinguished leadership,
saying, “He is one of the outstanding figures of modern Burkinabe history.”
“He has distinguished himself as someone
committed to the welfare of his people and the progress of Burkina Faso and
indeed West Africa and Africa… Indeed he’s one of the most respected voices
amongst my peers in the region and on the continent,” he said.
“We’ve got ourselves a true friend and we
should rejoice in that fact,” he added.
During President Akufo-Addo’s visit to Burkina
Faso last year, the governments of both countries agreed to strengthen the ties
of cooperation that existed between the two countries.
The two countries reinforced their cooperation
in the areas of railway and road transport, agriculture, water, security,
trade, works and housing and energy.
They also agreed to reactivate the Joint
Technical Committee on Integrated Water Resource Management to oversee and
manage the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, to reduce the
perennial flooding downstream.
Both nations agreed to collaborate, with the
support of ECOWAS, establish a Joint Border Post to facilitate trade and free
movement of their people, goods and services. They also decided to work
together in support of the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area
(CFTA) under the auspices of the African Union.
President Akufo-Addo described as fruitful the
deliberations between him and Mr Kabore in Accra, as “we have had personal
meeting and meetings between delegations of both governments and have been able
to cover a lot of grounds, and have no doubt when implemented, would benefit
our populations.”
He disclosed that both sides had begun high
level interactions to find a solution to the spillage of the Bagre Dam in
Burkina Faso that leads to the perennial flooding of the northern parts of
Ghana, with its attendant loss of lives, property and farmlands.
Discussions, The President said, were underway
for the connection of electricity from Ghana to Burkina Faso, the transhipment
of goods between the two countries, and as to how to deal with the Fulani
herdsmen issue.
He disclosed that there was the need for Ghana
to step up and organise the Joint Commission for Cooperation between both
countries, which he said, would hopefully be done before the year ends.
Ghana and Burkina Faso, he said, shared a
common history, geography, and views on issues confronting West Africa and the
continent, thus, it stood to reason that the two nations increased the bonds of
friendship between them.
Mr Kabore on his part, expressed gratitude to
President Akufo–Addo for the honour done him and for the warm hospitality
extended to him and his delegation.
He pledged to ensure that the relations
between Ghana and Burkina Faso was tremendously improved and assured that his
government would work to bring to fruition the agreements made in Accra.
GNA