The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Diana Acconcia, paid a farewell call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on 6th July, 2021.
Ambassador Acconcia’s three year duty tour of Ghana has come to an end.
She had been the Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana.
During the meeting in Accra on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, the Minister acknowledged that bilateral relations between Ghana and the EU witnessed active engagements and growth during the tenure of the Ambassador.
She lauded the Ambassador for the successful organization of the annual Ghana-EU Political Dialogues, which enhanced relations between the EU and Ghana and afforded both sides the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues of mutual interest.
She noted with satisfaction the increasing level of development assistance that Ghana receives from the EU, a reflection of the strong relations which exist between the two sides and further mentioned that the development cooperation supports critical programmes towards Ghana’s socio-economic development.
She expressed appreciation for the signing of an 87- million-euro special emergency budget support financing agreement between Ghana and the EU in 2020 to assist the country in its response to the COVID-19 crisis.
She commended the EU for its funding of the COVAX facility, which made it possible for low and middle-income countries such as Ghana to benefit from the COVID-19 vaccines, in line with the EU’s commitment to ensure equitable access to the vaccines.
She applauded the launch of the Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Sustainable Cocoa by the European Commission, which seeks to deliver concrete recommendations to promote sustainability across the cocoa supply chain through collective actions and partnerships.
The Minister reiterated the commitment of Ghana to collaborate with the EU and other stakeholders to attain a sustainable cocoa production that promotes good forest cover, eliminates child labour as well as secure the socio-economic well-being of cocoa farmers.
She highlighted the importance of the official presentation of the Final Report of the 2020 EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Ghana by Chief Observer, MEP Javier Nart in Accra on 12th April, 2021, as the recommendations therein will facilitate improvement in Ghana’s democratic governance.
She lauded EU support for peace and security within West Africa region and the Sahel as well as EU commitment to the multilateral system, with the UN at its core, alongside other regional organisations, especially the AU, ECOWAS, and the G5 Sahel in the maintenance of international peace and security.
By Melvin Tarlue