By Iddi Yire
Accra, July 16, GNA – Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has paid a working visit to Malta.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said during the visit, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey held bilateral meetings with President Myriam Spiteri Debono of Malta; Prime Minister Dr Robert Abela and Dr Ian Borg, the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade.
It said the two sides acknowledged the strong and cordial relations between Ghana and Malta, which had led to high-level visits from both sides and discussed strengthening existing bilateral relations and exploring new areas of cooperation, such as renewable energy, tourism, aviation, and the health sector.
The statement said at the end of the fruitful deliberations, the leaders agreed to further enhance cooperation between Ghana and Malta through initiatives that would increase trade, joint ventures in renewable energy, collaborative efforts in the tourism and aviation industries, educational exchanges, and the sharing of best practices in governance and economic development.
It said they also underscored the need to take concrete steps to implement the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements that had been signed, to ensure that the commitments translate into mutually beneficial outcomes.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey seized the opportunity to inform of her candidature for the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and shared her vision for the organisation.
She emphasised the need for a transformative agenda focused on building resilience to tackle contemporary challenges such as stagnant economies, growing inequality, high youth unemployment, climate disasters, and threats to democracy and human rights.
Malta plays an active role within the Commonwealth, thus, its leaders expressed readiness to continue to contribute to enhancing the organisation’s relevance for it to achieve tangible outcomes that benefit all member countries.
GNA