President John Dramani Mahama and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have reaffirmed the longstanding historic ties between their two nations, pledging to deepen cooperation across key strategic sectors, including trade, security, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure development.

A statement issued by Ghana’s Presidency, said the two leaders made the commitment during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Eighth African Union (AU) Mid-Year Coordination Summit, held alongside the maiden Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt.

Reflecting on the foundational bond between their countries, President Mahama and President El-Sisi recalled the Pan-African vision established during the era of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Egypt’s former President, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

It said both leaders agreed that building on the historic foundation remained vital for addressing contemporary regional development goals.

President Mahama thanked Egypt for supporting Ghana’s resolution on reparations at the United Nations and urged that it maintain its backing as the international dialogue continued.

To boost bilateral trade, the two leaders discussed concrete steps to strengthen political consultations and expand commercial activities.

A key area of focus was the pharmaceutical sector, with discussions centered on streamlining and facilitating the registration of Egyptian pharmaceutical products in Ghana, to improve healthcare access and foster investment.

Defense and regional security were also major agenda items.

President Mahama expressed Ghana’s desire to expand security collaboration with Egypt, citing the North African nation’s advanced defense industry as a valuable model.

He called for broader cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing, capacity building, and counter-terrorism initiatives.

The bilateral discussions further covered support for the Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord and the development of social housing.

Looking to the future of urban planning, President Mahama revealed Ghana’s interest in learning from Egypt’s technical experience in developing mega-infrastructure projects.

Specifically, Ghana aims to draw insights from Egypt’s execution of its New Administrative Capital as the country advanced its own strategic plans for a new capital city.