ABIDJAN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in Abidjan on Wednesday, and they stressed the need for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to stay in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the Ivorian presidency, Ouattara and Mahama focused their discussion on shared interests, including defense, security, the cocoa economy (both countries are the world's top producers), mining, energy, and major projects of the ECOWAS, such as the Abidjan-Lagos corridor and the proposed common currency, the ECO.

They also pledged to support the implementation of the 2017 Cote d'Ivoire-Ghana Strategic Partnership Agreement.

Mahama, who arrived in Abidjan earlier in the day, emphasized that Ivorians and Ghanaians are "one people" and urged both nations to continue collaborating. He also encouraged stronger economic ties to enhance their roles within the African Continental Free Trade Area, headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

They stressed the need to bolster cooperation in security and defense to ensure peace and stability in West Africa, combat climate change, terrorism, maritime piracy, and other forms of trafficking in the region.

At a subsequent press conference, they addressed the socio-political situation in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger -- three members of the Sahel States Alliance (AES), which withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2024. Both presidents underscored the importance of providing assistance to these nations to address humanitarian and security needs.

Ouattara expressed confidence in his Ghanaian counterpart's ability to persuade the three countries to remain in ECOWAS, saying that "it is crucial for the future of West African peoples."

"I appeal to the AES countries: we are stronger as 15 nations than as three," he added.

For his part, Mahama pledged to address the issue "in the best possible manner," highlighting the economic interdependence of the region and the challenges faced by citizens of these countries living in Cote d'Ivoire and other ECOWAS states due to border restrictions. Enditem

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