Ghana will host an Extraordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers next week in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Thursday.
According to the minister, the meeting will be held on April 22 and 23, in which foreign and finance ministers of member states will deliberate on pressing regional issues, including the recent withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the bloc to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
He emphasized that a comprehensive report will be prepared for consideration by the ECOWAS Heads of State at the end of the meeting.
“While the withdrawal of the AES nations presents a challenge to our cohesion, ECOWAS must respond with enhanced diplomacy and unwavering commitment to the vision of a united and prosperous West Africa,” Ablakwa emphasised.
The Foreign Minister praised ECOWAS’s legacy over the past five decades, highlighting its achievements in regional trade, movement of people, infrastructure development, and peacekeeping efforts.
He enumerated some successful initiatives undertaken by the sub-regional body including the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, and major projects like the West African Power Pool and the Abidjan‑Lagos corridor as having contributed to the meaningful progress in West Africa.
He also noted the importance of celebrating the human impact of regional integration: “It is about the entrepreneur in Accra and Abidjan, the student in Lagos and Dakar, the peacekeeper in Banjul and Bissau — it is about people,” he said. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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