By Rachel Kakraba
French Minister of State for development, Francophonie and international partnerships, Mrs. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, has arrived in Accra on a three-day duty tour of Ghana. Her visit would among other things strengthen the partnership between Ghana and deepen multi-dimensional partnership ties between Ghana and France.
In line with the speech of the President of France on 27 February 2023 this visit will be an opportunity to highlight several priorities for a renewed partnership with Africa with a focus on youth, innovation and culture. In each of these three Gulf of Guinea countries, the Secretary of State will meet with the authorities to review some major collaborative projects.
Ms. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou will also highlight the European dimension of our commitment to each of these countries, as well as our solidarity in the face of the social and security challenges they face in certain regions.
In Benin, the Minister of State will follow up on the commitments made during the visit of the President of the Republic last July. Several stages will be devoted to heritage and cultural cooperation as well as professional training. On this occasion, she will meet with teachers and students of the School of African Heritage in Porto-Novo, which benefits from a partnership with France. She will also attend a presentation of the Cotonou cultural and creative district project, which will house the new Franco-Beninese Institute. The Secretary of State will sign financing agreements for the “Pro Far 2” project, implemented by the Beninese government, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (LuxDev), to develop agricultural and rural training.
In Togo, the Minister of State and Professor Mustapha Mijiyawa, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care, will strengthen the health partnership between our two countries by signing a cooperation protocol. She will also meet with the staff from the University Hospital of Lomé. This visit to Togo will serve to illustrate the dynamism of bilateral cultural cooperation. Mrs. Zacharopoulou will attend, among others, a presentation of the “Togo Creative” project at the French Institute of Togo, which aims to support Togolese cultural creation and to highlight the country’s heritage.
In Ghana, the Minister of State will tour the Freedom skate park built by Surf Ghana with the support of AFD and private partners, which serves as a sports venue for Ghanaian youth. At the University of Ghana, she will attend the presentation of a Franco-Ghanaian research project on plastic recycling. Mrs. Zacharopoulou will meet with the French and Francophone community at the Lycée Français international d’Accra and at Ecole Ronsard. The Minister of State will visit the Osu Castle to pay homage to victims of the slave trade.
