The West African nation of Ghana and East Africa’s Kenya have kicked off their second Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) with a two-day virtual meeting for senior officials.
This session, which began on March 27th, 2024, paves the way for a Ministerial Session and a State Visit to Ghana by Kenyan President His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, scheduled for April 2nd to 4th.
Ghana’s Ambassador Hannah Nyarko, Coordinating Director for Political and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, co-chaired the virtual meeting alongside Kenyan Ambassador Moi Lemonshira, Director-General for Political and Economic Affairs at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Ambassador Nyarko highlighted the longstanding and robust bilateral relationship between the two countries. She further emphasized that embracing the virtual format for the PJCC reflects Ghana and Kenya’s unwavering commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships and exploring avenues for mutual economic growth.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lemonshira underscored Kenya’s eagerness to strengthen trade and investment ties with Ghana, thereby promoting intra-African trade. He also commended Ghana for hosting the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The co-chairs urged the senior officials to engage in open and constructive discussions, fostering a spirit of cooperation to identify common ground. Their goal is to strengthen both nations, making them more resilient and equipped to address the challenges of an interconnected world – all for the benefit of their respective citizens.
Discussions during the PJCC focused on various areas of collaboration, including defense matters, cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture, the blue economy, and export promotion.