Mills meets Gnassingbe, Compaore in friendly talks

From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent, Lom=E9, Togo

Lom=E9, April 9, GNA - Lom=E9, the capital city of Togo, Ghana's eastern neighbour, on Wednesday afternoon went agog with music and dance to welcome President John Evans Atta Mills. Not only did drums throb, but trumpets also sounded, cymbals clashed and there was joy, with the waving of miniature flags of the two neighbouring countries.

People from all walks of life - men and women, old and young, children and adults - lined the streets and sang to give the Ghanaian president a hero's welcome.

The celebration was agog from the Faure Gnassingbe International Airport when President Mills and his delegation touched down in an Ivorian presidential jet that had taken off earlier from the Ouagadougou Airport in Burkina Faso.

President Mills' convoy drove to the new Presidential Palace, a 30-minute drive from the airport, where he held discussions with Togolese President Gnassingbe on ways of improving bilateral relations between the two sister countries.

President Mills' visit to Togo was the climax of a two-day official visit to three neighbouring sister countries - La C=F4te d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo - to thank their leaders for attending his inauguration as President last January.

It was also to forge better ties with the nations in a spirit of brotherliness to bring better lives to their people. President Mils had earlier visited La C=F4te d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso and adopted communiqu=E9s, which made it clear that cooperation was the only key that would help in dealing with the current global economic crisis. With regard to the Republic of Togo, a communiqu=E9 signed jointly by Togolese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Koffi Esau, and his Ghanaian counterpart, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, said the two Heads of State expressed their satisfaction with the climate of peace and good neighbourliness, which existed between the two countries and resolved to work towards reinforcement of the climate of confidence between Togolese and Ghanaian communities who shared deep historic, social and cultural links.

On bilateral issues, President Gnassingbe congratulated President Mills again on his election victory while President Mills expressed appreciation for the support he had begun receiving from President Gnassingbe.

The two countries agreed to strengthen the historical and brotherly ties with each other and expressed the desire to identify mutually beneficial projects concluded between Togo and Ghana. The two leaders consequently agreed to strengthen exchanges between the countries and develop relations of economic, commercial and cultural partnership.

They also discussed the free movement of people and goods, the economy, trade, agriculture, water and energy. The leaders decided that the Ghana-Togo Joint Commission should meet in the near future to identify areas of common interest to be implemented.

They called to mind the question of the demarcation of their common frontiers and decided that the Joint Border Demarcation Commission should meet in the immediate future to continue its work. They also agreed that the security services of the two countries should further reinforce their co-operation to fight more efficiently against illicit drug trafficking and trans-border organised crime. President Gnassingbe also informed President Mills of preparations for Togo's election scheduled for 2010 and President Mills congratulated him on reforms which had enabled Togo to re-establish co-operation with the international community.

President Mills also informed him of his vision and mission for Ghana to be implemented during his term of office to consolidate democracy in Ghana.

President Mills had earlier in the day held similar bilateral talks with Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore in Ouagadougou, where the two leaders also reiterated their commitment to peace in the sub-region, Africa and the world at large.

President Mills and President Compaore expressed grave concern about the international financial crisis and its negative consequences on the economies of developing countries and affirmed the necessity to resume as soon as possible the Doha Round of negotiations that would enable equitable international trade to the benefit of all. 9 April 09