President Mahama, Holness agree on defence cooperation and disaster response
President John Dramani Mahama and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation between Ghana and Jamaica, with a renewed focus on improving disaster response and enhancing military collaboration between the two countries.
The two leaders reached the understanding during bilateral talks in Kingston as part of President Mahama’s State Visit to Jamaica.
Addressing a joint media encounter after their discussions, President Mahama said the proposed Defence Cooperation Agreement would deepen security relations while improving the capacity of both countries to respond swiftly to natural disasters and other emergencies.
“We also discussed a Defence Cooperation Agreement that will strengthen military cooperation between our two countries,” President Mahama said.
“The agreement will also improve our ability to respond quickly to disasters affecting either country.”
The President recalled Ghana’s deployment of military personnel to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, describing the mission as a demonstration of the enduring friendship and solidarity between the two nations.
“Ghana was proud to deploy troops to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa,” he said.
“Our soldiers felt so much at home that they requested three extensions to their deployment before eventually returning home.”
President Mahama said the significance of the deployment extended beyond the number of personnel involved, stressing that it reflected the close historical and diplomatic ties shared by Ghana and Jamaica.
“The importance of that deployment was not in the number of troops but in the symbolism of solidarity between two brotherly nations,” he stated.
Beyond defence cooperation, President Mahama announced that Ghana and Jamaica had reached agreements to expand collaboration in the health and education sectors.
He disclosed that the two countries had signed an agreement that would enable Ghanaian health professionals to support Jamaica’s healthcare system while creating opportunities for Jamaican health workers to contribute to healthcare delivery and training in Ghana.
“I am pleased that we have signed an agreement that will soon allow Ghanaian health professionals to support Jamaica’s health system,” he said.
“We also discussed exchanges that will bring Jamaican health professionals to Ghana to train and support our health sector.”
The President added that both countries were also exploring teacher exchange programmes, particularly in mathematics, physics and science, to strengthen educational outcomes.
President Mahama commended Jamaica for its resilience in recovering from Hurricane Melissa despite the extensive damage caused by the disaster.
“Although the hurricane caused damage estimated at about 12 billion dollars, Jamaica has demonstrated remarkable resilience in its recovery,” he said.
“I congratulate Prime Minister Holness and the people of Jamaica for bouncing back from adversity.”
President Mahama described the State Visit as productive and forward-looking, saying it had produced a clear roadmap for strengthening cooperation between Ghana and Jamaica across defence, health, education and other strategic sectors.
“We leave these engagements with renewed political commitment to deepen cooperation between our two countries,” he added.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
