Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry flew to Accra, Ghana on Wednesday for talks on boosting bilateral cooperation with senior government officials -- the latest of Cairo's efforts to strengthen ties with countries on the African continent. During the visit, Shoukry will deliver a message from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to his Ghanaian counterpart Nana Akufo-Addo on "ways to bolster bilateral relations," Egypt's state news agency MENA reported on Wednesday. Shoukry is also set to discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest with Ghana's top government officials including the country's foreign minister and parliament speaker. El-Sisi's government has repeatedly said it seeks to bolster Cairo's ties with African nations to achieve "economic and social developments, peace and stability in the continent." Egypt's foreign ministry said Tuesday that the visit comes as part of Cairo's "continuous effort to bolster ties with African countries." In July 2016, the presidents of Egypt and Ghana met on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Egypt has around $1 billion invested in Ghana in the fields of infrastructure, construction and electricity, according to the foreign ministry. The two countries also cooperate on security, counter-terrorism, health, communication and education. Last month, Shoukry held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda which tackled mutual ties and boosting cooperation among Nile Basin countries ahead of a summit of Nile Basin heads of state set for June.
