Burkina Faso and Ghana signed seven agreements at the conclusion of the 13th Joint Commission meeting on Friday, February 20, 2026, aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation and strengthening ties between Ouagadougou and Accra.
The agreements, announced by Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cover a broad range of areas including transport and transit, mutual recognition of national driving licences, and disaster prevention and response. Other accords address combating the illicit manufacture and trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances, establishing a cross-border cooperation framework, creating a joint commission to review and reaffirm the common border, and setting up regular consultations between local authorities in border areas.
Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré emphasized that the agreements “provide practical tools and concrete mechanisms to deliver tangible benefits for our economies and our people.”
Preparatory discussions for the 13th Joint Commission in October 2025 had already highlighted both countries’ ambitions to strengthen bilateral relations. The February meeting also reviewed recommendations and agreements from the 12th session held in Accra in 2018 and explored new cooperation projects.
Bilateral trade between the two nations was estimated at $764 million in 2024, according to the International Trade Center. The countries also maintain ongoing partnerships in security, particularly amid rising jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso.
The Feb. 20 meeting came shortly after a terrorist attack on February 14 in the Burkinabe town of Titao, which killed eight Ghanaian tomato traders and transporters, prompting Ghana to temporarily suspend tomato imports from Burkina Faso.
Both countries also agreed to maintain a mechanism for monitoring and sharing rainfall data through their technical agencies, aimed at improving climate and environmental management.
At the close of the meeting, officials from Ouagadougou and Accra pledged to implement the agreements effectively to ensure tangible benefits and a visible impact on citizens’ daily lives.
