Mr. Kofi Amannkwa Manu, Deputy Minister for Defence, says peace and security remain fragile not only in Africa but globally.
He said internal conflict, terrorism and violent extremism posed significant challenges to stability and development.
“We must address these issues and work towards a safer, more prosperous future for our people and nations at large,” he stressed at a Ghana and South Africa Joint Defence Committee Meeting to deepen bilateral ties around security.
The joint meeting follows a Bi-National Commission held earlier in March 2024, in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Bi-National Commission afforded the two countries an opportunity to deepen bilateral relations across various sectors, including defence and security.
The joint meeting will allow both countries to deliberate on mutual security interests for two days.
He urged the Committee to develop strategies or programmes that would utilise the opportunities that the Defence Holding Company of the Ghana Arm Forces presented.
The Minister expressed the hope that the two-day discussions would be productive and insightful, paving the way for tangible outcomes that would benefit the two countries.
“Let us, at this meeting, endeavour to build upon our shared history, friendship, and cooperation, including cooperating between our defence establishments, ensure that together we are better prepared to confront the challenges as we work towards strengthening the same and contributing to a more secure and peaceful Africa,” he said.
The Joint Meeting, he said, underlined the two countries’ profound fraternal relations, started by Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, in 1998, adding that Ghana played a significant role in inspiring liberation movements across Africa, including South Africa.
GNA