Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has called on Member ECOWAS countries to leverage the advantages being presented to them by the interests being shown by third states in the region.

She explained that the growing interest in the region is not one that should be overlooked since it offers them the opportunity to create opportunities that will benefit their citizens.

"Indeed, we cannot purport to effectively carry out the duty without deeply reflecting on the reasons behind the growing interest of third states in our Community. We should also be minded by the geopolitical considerations and its underpinnings. To the keen observer of developments in our region, the single market that our region offers and its attractiveness for trade and investment, including the fact that our population is youthful and increasingly educated are certainly some of the reasons for the high interest in ECOWAS.

"We should and must seize the opportunity, guided by the principles of complementarity, and our shared values to leverage these interests for the benefit of the citizens of the community," she said.

She made this known in her address at the opening of the meeting of the ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs of the Committee of Five ECOWAS Member States on the Accession of Third States to the ECOWAS Treaty in Accra.

She stated further that, "Over the last three days, a multi-sectoral meeting of experts was held here in Accra, to consider the conclusions of the study, which will be submitted to us for our comments and hopefully endorsement before they are referred to the Heads of State for decision."

This was in response to requests by the Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 52nd Ordinary Session, held in Abuja, Nigeria on 16th December 2017, where it directed the ECOWAS Commission to undertake a study and constitute a High-Level Committee, comprising the Presidents of the Republic of Togo, La Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.

This was to address the legal and institutional requirements for third-country accession to the ECOWAS Treaty.