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Netherlands asked to assist Ghana Air
Force train pilots
Accra, Jan. 29, GNA - Defence Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor on
Monday appealed to the Netherlands to extend the military
cooperation between Ghana and that country to include the
training of pilots for the Ghana Air Force.
Additionally, Netherlands should assist the Post Graduate
Medical School at the 37th Military Hospital with
consultants and specialist surgeons to improve on the
academic training and service delivery.
Dr Addo-Kufuor made the appeal when the new Netherlands
Ambassador in Ghana, Mrs Lidi Remmelzwaal called on him at
Burma camp in Accra.
The Ambassador's call was to further strengthen existing
ties between both countries and to familiarize herself with
the Ministry of Defence.
Dr Addo-Kufuor expressed appreciation to Netherlands for the
support given the Ministry, particularly the assistance it
rendered in the construction of the Kofi Annan International
Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC).
Netherlands provided 1.4 million Euros towards the setting
up of the KAIPTC.
He expressed the hope that her tenure would open up new
areas of cooperation between the Ghana Armed Forces and the
Netherlands, especially with the Ghana Air Force where it
already had a contract.
Military co-operation between Ghana and the Netherlands has
been limited mainly to the Ghana Air Force. In times past,
Ghana used to train pilots in that country but the facility
is no longer available.
Ties between the Air Force and the Netherlands are currently
limited to the refurbishment of the Air force's Fokker
aircrafts in Holland.
Ambassador Remmelzwaal said her country had partnered Ghana
in many ways including private sector development.
In her opinion, Ghana's Defence Ministry was playing an
important role in the quest for global peace and stability
with its contribution to peacekeeping operations and the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) standby
force.
She said her country considered the work of the KAIPTC
important, and would want to continue to be involved with
the institution even though her country's support for the
Centre would come to an end in the next four months.
The Ambassador expressed the hope that relations between
both countries would be strengthened during her stay.
GNA
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