Accra, Oct. 31, GNA – Ghana and Germany on Tuesday affirmed their commitment to mutual growth and prosperity, with both eager to deepen economic ties and investment opportunities, and political cooperation.
They have committed to strengthen cooperation in energy, climate, agriculture, education, and renewables, as well as to improve intercultural exchanges, reduce illegal migration from Africa to Europe, and address the insecurity in West Africa and other current global issues.
This follows bilateral talks held between the visiting German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, Accra.
Mr Scholz was on a two-day visit to Ghana, as part of a two-nation tour of sub-Saharan Africa, having already visited Nigeria, the continent’s most populated country, to strengthen cooperation between Germany and West African countries.
Since being elected two years ago, Scholz has made three trips to Africa to expand economic prospects with the continent. His trip comes three weeks ahead of the fourth G20 Africa Investment Summit, which will be held in Berlin
At a joint press conference following the meetings, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana valued its state-to-state connections with Germany, which were independent of which party was in power in either Germany or Ghana.
Scholz’ visit, he said, had strengthened the two countries’ relationship and cooperation.
Ghana, according to President Akufo-Addo, valued Germany’s contributions in many areas of national life, particularly energy efficiency, renewable energy development, and transmission infrastructure development.
Furthermore, he stated that the G20 Compact for Africa, initiated by Germany to promote private investment into Africa, had been a productive and valuable source of cooperation for the two countries.
The President thanked the German Chancellor for choosing Ghana as one of the West African countries to visit during his African tour, saying it was a privilege for two successive German leaders to visit Ghana under his presidency.
He recalled the strong economic ties between the two countries, which he said were evidenced by the number of German companies that set up shop in the country, including the recently established Volkswagen assembling plant.
“We will continue to create and maintain a conducive investment atmosphere that will not only guarantee the safety of their investments, but good returns on investments as well,” he assured the German Chancellor.
“We in Ghana are determined to see the rebound of our economy which has been ravaged like all nations by the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“That is why our focus is to continue to build a value-added industrialized economy with modernized agriculture which will enable us to reach our destination of Ghana beyond aid. I am happy that our relations with Germany are now being focused on an increase in trade and investment cooperation” he said.
President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana and the rest of Africa are resolved to win the fight against terrorism and violent extremism on the African continent and would seek Germany’s support in that endeavour.
He stated that the two countries shared a clear vision for how they could collaborate to restore democracy to the countries that had experienced coups and strengthen democratic advancements in West Africa as a whole.
“We will continue to collaborate with the Federal Republic of Germany at the bilateral and multilateral levels in finding solutions to challenges such as widespread poverty, irregular migration, insecurity and human rights violations terrorism, violent extremism, human and drug trafficking, piracy as well as climate change and its attendant impact on the environment and livelihoods.
“We are looking forward to working together to promote the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council. At least we have all seen in recent times that the council in many ways is not fit for purpose in dealing with questions to do with international peace and security,” he emphasised.
Chancellor Scholz, for his part, stated that Germany saw a lot of promise in Ghana and was eager to build stronger ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
Ghana and Germany have a major trading relationship. In 2022, Germany imported 375 million Euros from Ghana, while exports to Ghana totaled 292.5 million Euros.
Germany’s main exports to Ghana are machinery and chemical products, whereas Ghana’s key exports to Germany are food and raw materials.
GNA