Ghana enhances ties with Benin

Accra, Oct. 11, GNA – Ghana’s diplomatic existence in Benin was established on 6th April 1962, when Ghana formally opened its Embassy in Cotonou, main sources have actually stated.

“The relations between Ghana and Benin go back several years, prior to the particular territories ended up being colonised.

“Throughout the early part of the colonial era, characterised by sell slaves and gold, the two territories were both victims of extensive exploitation.

“At the socio-cultural level, strong ties existed and continue to exist in between the individuals of Ghana and Benin.

“Many of the ethnic groups in Southern Benin are related to the Ewes of Southern Togo and South-Eastern Ghana. Likewise, towards the north, the various ethnic groups have consanguine relations with the peoples in Togo and Ghana.

“In the immediate post-independence age as much as the early nineties, bilateral relations in between Ghana and Benin were greatly steeped in political and cultural matters.

“However, in the early 1970s, buoyed by the economic aspirations of individuals of the two nations and the intersecting interests of the organisation neighborhoods of both Ghana and Benin, economic relations assumed a much greater and mutually advantageous measurement, which was ultimately consummated in the development of the sub-regional grouping ECOWAS in 1975.

“Ideologically, Ghana and Benin have followed similar socio-economic development techniques given that the achievement of independence.

“They experienced varying tones of democracy and socialism in the early 1960s, political instability due to coups d’état in the late 1960s to 80s, and now multiparty democracy.

“As a result, the foreign policies of the two nations have shown comparable orientation and Ghana and Benin share lots of common positions on concerns of worldwide issue.

“Their respective subscription of numerous worldwide organisations, notably the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West Africa States, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Francophonie have additional deepened the exceptional bilateral relations that exist between the two countries.

“The socio-economic cooperation in between Ghana and Benin has, considering that August 1976, been performed primarily within the structure of the Ghana-Benin Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation.

“The Agreement establishing the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, was signed in August 1976 and validated on 8 February, 1979. Within this institutional framework, the 2 countries have actually concluded different arrangements of cooperation consisting of the following:

Agreement

Date of Signature

Date of Ratification

Contract on Postal Services and Telecoms checked in Accra 10th December, 1976; Ratified 8th February 1979

Agreement on Health Cooperation, checked in Accra 10th December 1976

Contract on Road Transport signed in Accra 10th December, 1976; Validated 8th February, 1979

Contract on Cultural Cooperation signed in Accra 10th December, 1976; Ratified 8th February, 1979

Agreement on Tourism Cooperation checked in Accra 10th December, 1976

Arrangement on Agricultural cooperation checked in Cotonou 21st December, 1977; Validated 8th February, 1979

Arrangement on Judicial Cooperation signed in Cotonou 21st December, 1977; 8th February, 1979

Arrangement on extradition, checked in Cotonou 21st December, 1977; Ratified 8th February, 1979

Contract on Free Movement of goods and persons checked in Accra 24th August, 1978; Validated 8th February, 1979

Contract on the abolition of visas; Ratified 8th February, 1979

Contract on Trade

Procedure Contract on Civil Aviation 1980

Procedure Arrangement on the Exchange of Lecturers and Trainees signed in Cotonou 7th February 1985

Procedure Agreement on Military Cooperation signed in Accra October 2011

GNA

Source

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/politics/ghana-strengthens-ties-with-benin-123389