Starting from right: Willem Gaeiemann, Leader of Delegation; Charles Josob, High Commissioner of Namibia to Ghana; Elizabeth Salamatu Forgor, High Commissioner of Ghana to Namibia and an official.
A high-powered Namibian delegation is in Ghana to hold talks with Ghanaian authorities and other stakeholders on the theme: “Strengthening Namibia-Ghana Relationship on Trade and Economic Development”.
Led by Willem Gaeimann, the Permanent Secretary at the Namibian Ministry of Works and Transport, the delegation commenced talks on Monday, October 16, with an opening meeting with the High Commissioner of Namibia to Ghana, Charles Josob and later a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFA&RI), Shirely Ayorkor Botchwey.
The High Commissioner of Ghana to Namibia, Elizabeth Salamatu Forgor, as well as the President of the Association of Ghanaians in Namibia, Dr. Edward Fynn, flew in with the delegation on Sunday October 14, 2018.
Other members included the Chairman of Air Namibia and Managing Director of the Namibian Tourist Board.
The institutions involved include: Ministry of International Relations & Cooperation, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Ministry of Industrialization, Trade & SME Development, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, National Planning Commission, Air Namibia, Namibia Ports Authority, Namibia Tourism Board, Namibia Wild Life Resorts, Meat Board of Namibia and Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
The Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Namibia enjoy excellent bilateral relations that date back to the years of Namibian struggle for freedom and independence.
Many Namibians were educated in Ghana and are playing pivotal roles in the development of their country. Ghana provided a lot of technical support in other areas like the development of the civil and foreign services and teaching staff in educational institutions. With the establishment of formal bilateral relations almost 30 years ago, the efforts by the two countries to promote people-to-people contacts have grown immensely. The visit of the delegation is therefore in fulfilment of that relationship. In November 2016, Ghana hosted the second session of the Permanent Joint Commission on Cooperation (PJCC).
In June, Air Namibia resumed flights to Ghana after a five-year absence. One of the objectives of the delegation is therefore to promote that route and showcase Namibia as a preferred destination. The following Ghanaian ministries are playing host to the delegation: Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Transport, Aviation, Trade, Mines, Energy and Tourism.
They are also meeting with the National Development Planning Commission and State Enterprises Commission for “benchmarking in the areas of national development strategies as well as the establishment of the State Enterprise Commission”.
The Ghana High Commission in Namibia, in collaboration with Air Namibia and the Namibia High Commission in Ghana, put the visit together and are coordinating it in Ghana. The Ghana-Namibia Friendship Association, working to promote Ghana-Namibia relations, was brought on board to “contribute in making this initiative a success for the benefit of the two countries and peoples.”
The delegation returns home on Sunday, October 21, after courtesy calls on the Vice-President of Ghana, Dr. Mahmoudu Bawumia, and former President J.J. Rawlings. Also, they will visit tourist and historical sites.
.