President Adama Barrow seeing off the Ghanaian President at the Banjul International Airport
By Landing Ceesay
President of the Republic of the Gambia, His Excellency Adama Barrow, shared with journalists that he had extensive discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart, His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo, during the latter’s working visit to the Gambia.
President Akufo Addo was welcomed at Banjul International Airport by President Barrow and several Cabinet Ministers. Following his arrival, the two leaders held a closed-door meeting.
Additionally, President Akufo Addo visited members of the Ghanaian Armed Forces stationed in Barra under the ECOMIG.
Speaking to journalists after President Akufo Addo’s departure, President Barrow highlighted the strong relationship between the two countries.
“The relationship between the Gambia and Ghana is a very strong one, and we have always been engaging. There have been a lot of Gambians studying in Ghana. Recently, we sent about 23 Gambians to go study engineering in Ghana. They all came out with positive results, and they all came out with distinction.
“I told the President today that is very special. As the President said, I think when I came to power, his first major decision on the table was to send troops to the Gambia. So, obviously, Ghana has been very supportive, and we are very happy he came to visit. It is just a working visit, but we discussed a lot, bilateral issues, and issues about the sub-region also, that’s basically all about the visit,” President Barrow told the waiting Journalists at the Airport.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo Addo described his discussion with President Barrow as “very constructive.”
“I came here today for a one-day working visit with the President. We have a very constructive discussion, matters of mutual interest, as they say. I also have the opportunity to go and visit Ghanaian troops. As you are all aware, there is a contingent of Ghanaian troops here as part of the ECOWAS Stabilization Force in the Gambia. I went to Barra to visit them and they were very happy. They are happy to be in the Gambia. They are happy to be contributing to the peace and stability of your country,” President Addo told the Gambian Journalists shortly before his departure.
While both leaders did not provide detailed accounts of their discussions, local media reported that President Akufo Addo visited to seek President Barrow’s support for his Minister of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who is contesting for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General.