Ghana, Egypt explore new avenues in defence, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure
President John Dramani Mahama and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have reaffirmed the strong relations between Ghana and Egypt, with both leaders committing to expanding cooperation in strategic areas such as trade, security and infrastructure.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit, held alongside the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt.
The two leaders reflected on the historic relationship between the two countries, tracing it to the pan-African vision championed by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. They agreed that strengthening this foundation is important to tackling current development challenges across the continent.
President Mahama expressed gratitude to Egypt for its support for Ghana’s resolution on reparations at the United Nations and appealed for continued Egyptian backing as discussions on the issue progress internationally.
On trade, Mahama and el-Sisi discussed measures to deepen political engagement and increase commercial cooperation between the two countries. The pharmaceutical industry was identified as a key area, with talks focusing on simplifying the registration of Egyptian pharmaceutical products in Ghana to improve access to medicines while encouraging investment.
Security and defence cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. President Mahama called for stronger collaboration with Egypt, pointing to the country’s developed defence industry as an important source of expertise for Ghana.
He advocated increased cooperation in areas including intelligence sharing, security training, capacity building and counter-terrorism efforts.
The talks also touched on support for the Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord and initiatives aimed at expanding social housing.
On infrastructure and urban development, President Mahama said Ghana was interested in drawing on Egypt’s experience in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. He specifically cited Egypt’s development of its New Administrative Capital as an example from which Ghana could gain valuable technical insights as it pursues plans for a new capital city.
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