Following an official visit to Ghana on Thursday, January 16, a high level Meeting was held between Malian prime minister, General Abdoulaye Maïga and the Ghanaian president, John Dramani Mahama, with Maïga sharing a message from the President of the Transition, Army General Assimi Goïta.
Maïga was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, and the diplomatic advisor to the President of the Transition, Ms. Fatou Binta Diop. The team reflected Mali’s determination to consolidate its bilateral relations with Ghana in an inclusive and collaborative framework despite political tensions within the West African bloc.
Speaking at the press briefing, following the closed-door meeting with Maïga, Mahama acknowledged the sovereign decisions of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to form separate confederations but stressed that despite these temporary setbacks, it remains critical to maintain strong relationships across the region.
The visit undoubtedly marks a new dynamic in cooperation between the two countries and the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss long-standing ties of cooperation between the two nations. A major part of discussions was the revival of the Permanent Joint Cooperation Commission (PJCC)
The PJCC was constituted in 1977 to negotiate several broad converging interests between both countries in various spheres, underscoring the importance of complementing trade and investment policies, as well as setting targets for closer coordination at regional and international levels.
Regional political observers say this visit to Ghana reflects Mali’s commitment to play an active role on the regional scene and to reaffirm the historical and cultural ties between the two nations, while exploring strategic partnerships in the areas of security, economy and development.
