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The United Kingdom (UK) has offered to airlift the Ghanaian military contingent from the 68 Engineers Regiment to Mali. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the United Kingdom, Gen Sir David Richards, made the promise Saturday when he called on President John Dramani Mahama at his Cantonment residence in Accra. The meeting, which was held behind closed-doors, was attended by Ghana's CDS, Lt Gen Peter Augustine Blay, the Caretaker Minister of Defence, Lt Gen J.H. Smith, and the Minister-designate of Defence, Mr Mark Woyongo. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Colonel Mbawine Atintande, said Ghana and the United Kingdom had long standing relations in the area of training for the military. He said it was based on that collaboration that Britain was providing Ghana with the aircraft which would lift Ghana's military personnel on the 15th and 16th of February, 2013. Colonel Atintande said Gen Richards noted that Britain's support for Ghana in the area of the military had gone down. Therefore, he said Gen Richards had assured President Mahama of his country's resolve to increase military support to Ghana.