The Mid-Year Statutory Meetings of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) open in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday.
According to Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Shirley Ayorko Botchwey, the five-day meetings will deliberate on issues threatening the peace and stability of the West African sub-region and find solutions to them.
The Foreign Minister told journalists on Monday in Accra that the ECOWAS Summit would be attended by 15 Heads of State in West Africa with the exception of Mali which has been suspended from the activities of the regional body.
She stated that the meetings would include the 59th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government scheduled for June 19.
Ms. Ayorko Botchwey said that other dignitaries expected at the Summit included the ECOWAS President and Vice, Commissioners and supporting staff and former Nigeria President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is the ECOWAS Special Envoy on political crisis in Mali.
Local media reports quoted the Minister as saying that the Summit would be preceded by the 46th Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Mediation and Security Ministerial Council on Tuesday, June 15 and 86th Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on June 16 and 17 in Accra.
According to the minister, other issues on the agenda include ECOWAS Vision 2050, ECOWAS Information and Research Forum; humanitarian issues in the sub-region, report on ECOWAS Trade and Industry Ministerial Meeting, Ministerial Report on ECOWAS Single Currency and New Convergence Path, Regional Flood Risk Initiative and Management Strategy as well as the ECOWAS Gender Strategy and Action Plan.
GIK/APA