The meeting, which follows an earlier one held in May 2018 in Cote d’Ivoire, was to inform the Ivorian counterparts of Ghana's intention to officially deposit the coordinates given by the Special Chamber of ITLOS with the relevant agencies of the United Nations.

Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Minister, briefing the media said the exercise is in line with the ITLOS judgment adding that during the court ruling it provided coordinates that are needed to be plotted to show the clear maritime lines of the two countries.

''Now, Côte d'Ivoire gave us their plotting, we looked at it and in principle agreed with it. When you're plotting a graph as you know, you have to go point by point on the chart and that is going to be done today, to make sure that, all parties agreed on the line as determined by the coordinates pronounced by the court,’’ he said.

Mr Osafo-Maafo, who is the head of Ghana’s delegation, reiterated the need to have an agreement with their West African neighbours especially after the ITLOS gave the direction with regard to how issues should be resolved. ''We have had the first meeting and of course the court decision provided certain coordinates of the judgment which must be plotted to determine the boundary line. The technical experts of both countries are with us to commence the technical bit of the work, “he said.

Mr Osaafo-Maafo said there is the need to improve the bilateral relationships between the two countries beyond boundary line resolution agreement with the President of the two countries demonstrating a sense of cooperation in other endeavours of economic growth. “Earlier there had been a strategic framework agreement between President Alassane Ouattara and President Akufo-Addo on strategic cooperation between the countries and beyond the boundary line we have a lot in common in the cocoa industry, mining industry etc.

''We're now moving beyond the maritime boundary and we going to look at strategic cooperation beyond the maritime line and we will look further at the document which was signed by the two heads of state.'' The meeting is expected to continue on Friday, August 9, as the technicians from both delegations will map out the coordinates with a resolution to be agreed between the two countries.