Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana Armed Forces’ (GAF) Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) – Vice Admiral (V/Adm) Seth Amoama has paid a working visit to the Spanish Armed Forces Headquarters, at the invitation of Spain’s CDS – Admiral General Teodoro Esteban Lopez.
Admiral Amoama’s visit from Monday 15 May 2023, had him and his host plunge into bilateral discussions after inspecting a ceremonial guard of honour, as the former recalled cordial relations between Ghana and Spain, spanning several decades, which have yielded mutual benefits for both countries.
Ghana’s military chief further cited Spain’s contributions to enhance maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, western Africa, through periodic deployment of Naval ships and Marines, as part of the European Union Coordinated Maritime Presence.
The two security capos deliberated on efforts by the Accra Initiative in combating terrorism in West Africa, as Admiral Amoama called for support from the Spanish government, for the multinational West African endeavour, as Information/Intelligence sharing, Training and Capacity Building for specialized units, and cybersecurity, also found expression at the meeting.
The Spaniard CDS assured his Ghanaian equal, of the commitment of the Spanish Armed Forces to support GAF in the areas discussed.
As part of his itinerary for the visit, V/Adm Amoama also attended the International Defence and Security Exhibition – Feria Internacional De Defensa Seguridad de Espana 2023 (FEINDEF 2023) – held in Madrid from 17 to 19 May 2023, by the FEINDEF Foundation, with the support of Spain’s Defence Ministry, which the CDS highly commended for excellent arrangements.
FEINDEF 2023 is a Spanish Defence and Security Exhibition that provides levels of access to the new European defence market, reinforcing the implementation of initiatives in the fields of: collaborative research, capacity development, promotion of investment in the European defence supply chain and creation of the Single European Defence Market.
FEINDEF 2023 mainly promoted the capabilities of the defence and security industry, and provided a meeting place where entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, military and government officials could share knowledge, experiences and exchange ideas on the latest technological trends in their field.
The Spanish International Defence and Security Exhibition, which hosted a Brokerage Event focused on the fields of Security and Defence to foster international cooperation between key actors, had 400 exhibitors from 25 countries and more than 100 international delegations.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
