Ghana and Burkina Faso have renewed their commitment to closer bilateral relations following high-level talks between the two governments, resulting in a series of new agreements focused on security, transport, border management and disaster response.

During an official visit to Ouagadougou, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel O. Ablakwa held substantive discussions with Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, as well as his counterpart, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré.

According to the minister, the engagements were frank and forward-looking, with both sides agreeing to deepen what they described as exceptionally cordial relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

A key focus of the discussions was security cooperation.

The two governments jointly condemned recent terrorist attacks in the sub-region and extended condolences to affected families. They also agreed to design and adopt a new security framework aimed at tackling terrorism and violent extremism along their shared borders.

Beyond security, the countries established a new partnership on disaster management to improve responses to humanitarian emergencies.

The collaboration is expected to address recurring flooding linked to the Bagré Dam spillage, which has caused significant destruction in parts of northern Ghana in recent years.

The visit also saw the reactivation of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), which had been inactive for six years. The commission was revived following earlier meetings between John Mahama and Ibrahim Traoré earlier this year.

At the close of the PJCC sessions, both sides signed seven agreements covering the mutual recognition of driver’s licences, transport and road transit, cross-border cooperation, structured consultations between border authorities, reaffirmation of the shared boundary, disaster prevention and humanitarian response, and joint efforts to combat illicit drug production and trafficking.

The Ghanaian minister expressed appreciation to the Burkinabè government and people for their hospitality, describing the visit as productive and a step forward in strengthening cooperation between the two neighbouring states.