Five envoys who have been accredited by their respective countries to serve in Ghana, on Tuesday, September 7, presented their letters of credence to President Akufo-Addo to officially mark the commencement of their tour of duty in the country.
The envoys are the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Harriet Thompson; the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ibok-Ekwe Ibas; the Ambassador of Germany to Ghana, Daniel Krull; Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Jose Javier Gutierrez Blanco-Navarrete and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul.
Ghana–United Kingdom
The first to present her letters of Credence is the British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson. In her statement after President Akufo-Addo received her credentials, the British envoy said she will honour the trust placed in her by working tirelessly to deepen the relationship and the ties between the two countries.
“I am privileged to be here and to have so much to look forward to. Thank you for the opportunity that your nation is granting to mine,” High Commissioner Harriet Thompson said.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed the High Commissioner to Ghana and congratulated her on her appointment indicating that it is a big step to the envoy’s career.
“I am expecting us to work very closely together and all the officials of the Presidency are all at your disposal to facilitate your work here and help you carry out your duties effectively,” President Akufo-Addo assured the British envoy.
Nigeria–Ghana Relations
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ibok-Ekwe Ibas, assured the President that during the period of stay in Ghana, he will strive to expand and deepen the friendship between Ghana and Nigeria, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation between the two governments and peoples, and take Nigeria-Ghana relations to new heights.
President Akufo-Addo in response said Ghana and Nigeria are two of some of the strongest democracies in the West African sub-region. To this end, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana is ready to stand side by side with Nigeria to continue the fight against terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government in the sub-region.
“Our temporary issues, that there always will be, traders, etc, but I have no doubt that with goodwill on both of our sides, we will find a lasting solution to those problems. I am hoping and expecting that your tenure here is going to elevate the relations between our two countries to an even higher level than it has been already,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Ghana-Germany Ties
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, congratulated Ghana on her election to the United Nations Security Council. He noted that Germany, beyond the donation of 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, will continue to support the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus.
“I will do my best to further promote and intensify the friendly relations based on the trust existing between our two governments and peoples,” Ambassador Daniel Krull said.
President Akufo-Addo promised to acknowledge the strong relations that have existed between him and the outgoing German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. The President noted that Ghana is an admirer of the German model of development and that he and his administration are looking forward to deepening Ghana’s ties with Germany going forward.
Ghana, Spain and the Netherlands
Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Jose Javier Gutierrez Blanco-Navarrete, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul when they both took their turns to present their letters of credence to the President, pledged to carry on with the relationship of their countries with Ghana from where their predecessors left off.
President Akufo-Addo assured them that Ghana cherishes her relations with Spain and the Netherlands and looks forward to fruitful collaboration to deepen even further the thriving economic and trade relations.
