Accra, Jan. 13, GNA – Ghana is to open a mission in the central European nation of Hungary soon to bolster ties between the two countries, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced Thursday.
The move will be a reciprocal gesture, following the commitment by the two countries to accelerate relations on the bilateral and multilateral levels.
Hungary established its diplomatic mission in Ghana in 1961, but due to frosty relations between the two nations after the overthrow of the first Republic, Budapest closed its consulate in Accra in 1987, and only reopened it in 2016.
President Akufo-Addo who made the announcement at a State Banquet hosted at the Jubilee House, Accra, in honour of the visiting Hungarian President, Janos Ader, said the two countries shared a commitment to the principles of democracy, social justice, respect for human rights and the rule of law in the mutual determination to chart paths of self-reliance for the progress and prosperity of their peoples.
He said the shared vision of deeper trade and investment relations between the two countries “is the most effective way towards building a sustainable future of progress and posterity for our respective countries and populations, and for maintaining healthy relationships between our two nations.”
The President acknowledged Hungary’s outstanding achievements and leadership in the areas of technology, water and sanitation, agri-business and food technology, which he said, “are all relevant to Ghana’s quest for rapid development and transformation of its economy.”
“With your visit, I am confident that a strong foundation for a new and mutually beneficial cooperation has been laid…and I am expectant that the contact between our two business communities will yield the necessary fruits of enhanced private sector exchanges between Ghanaian and Hungarian business people,” he said.
The Hungarian President, who is on a historic five-day state visit to Ghana, is being accompanied by his wife, Anita Herczegh, and a host of officials.
During the high-level bilateral interactions at the Jubilee House on Thursday, the two sides committed to exchanges in trade and investment, education, sports, waste management, environmental protection and nature conservation.
An agreement was signed in the area of sanitation and water resources management, leading to the Hungarian Exim Bank granting a 50 million Euro facility to the Jospong Group of Companies to build waste treatment plants in Kumasi, Tarkoradi, Tamale and Dambai.
“These projects will help Ghana progress towards achieving the UN’s SDG goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, and we express strong appreciation to Hungary for this empowerment,” said President Akufo-Addo.
President Ader, said Hungary looked to grow its relations with Ghana, and expressed delight at the announcement that Accra would open a mission in Budapest soon.
He lauded Ghana’s democratic credentials, political stability and its “impressive” economic growth, which he said was “reason for us to substantiate and draw closer our relations.”
GNA