President commends Ivorian Counterpart's regard for ITLOS verdict

Accra, Oct. 17, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has praised his Ivorian counterpart President Alassane Ouattara for his show of statesmanship after the verdict passed by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the delimitation of the maritime boundaries of the two countries.

“We realised there was a delicate moment, when it came to this dispute over our maritime border, but your statesmanship, friendship and regard for the interests of our two countries, made it possible for us to overcome that delicate moment, and use it as a basis for forging even stronger relations between us.”

President Akufo-Addo gave the commendation during bilateral talks with President Ouattara at the Flagstaff House in Accra, at the commencement of Mr Ouattara’s two-day official visit to Ghana.

Welcoming President Ouattara to Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said it was a great honour to have him and his delegation in Ghana, saying that, the visit would “improve and bring our nations into much greater intimacy than we had in the past.”

“There is a bright future ahead of us if we are able to get our various darts in the correct row. The Ghanaian people will continue to be very supportive of all the initiatives there are, to improve our ties with your country,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated the commitment of Ghana to translate the “technical decisions” agreed on paper “into concrete decisions that affect the lives of the people, and that is what is most important. At this juncture in our history, we have a historic opportunity to being our two countries together.”

President Alassane Ouattara, prior to his discussion with President Akufo-Addo, received a rousing welcome from Ghanaians, as he was driven through the principal streets of Accra, amidst spontaneous cheers from hundreds of Ghanaians who lined up to welcome him.

The two leaders will address a joint press conference on Tuesday and also sign a bilateral agreement.

They would also inaugurate a joint commission for the implementation of the recent ITLOS judgement on the delimitation of the maritime boundaries between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

GNA

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