President Akufo-Addo with Italian PM, Paolo Gentiloni, leaving the Flagstaff House
The Italian government has offered to give an amount of $25 million to help develop Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.
Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, who led a high-powered delegation to Ghana on Monday, made the announcement in Accra yesterday during a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House.
As he and his other colleague leaders from the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) are converging in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, today for the EU-AU Summit, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was sure the future of the youth would be discussed, touting Ghana for its efforts in the development of the youth.
He described the economic relationship between the two countries as very positive.
The collaboration between Ghana and Italy, according to him, is not only limited to oil and gas, but extends to other areas.
Mr Gentiloni therefore stressed his government’s commitment to developing Small and Medium Enterprises in Ghana.
“Italy has always contributed to the development of Ghana and as the president rightly said, the various important infrastructure were done by Italy,” he said.
For him, the stability of Ghana should serve as an example to all the countries on the African continent.
The Italian PM thanked President Akufo-Addo for the kind gesture accorded him and members of his delegation.
President Akufo-Addo also thanked his Italian counterpart for the visit.
He touted Italian investments in Ghana of which the ENI Energy Company is the biggest, describing it as “extremely important for the future of our country.”
That, he said, is because ENI is helping in the development of Ghana’s oil deposits.
“They will also develop our gas resources, their involvement gives us the opportunity to become increasingly self-sufficient in our energy generation,” President Akufo-Addo emphasized.
Soon after the meeting, two foreign envoys, who have brought their duty tour of Ghana to an end, called on the president to inform him of their departure and to wish him well.
They were the Japanese Ambassador, Kaoru Yoshimura and the Lebanese envoy, Ali Halabi.
President Akufo-Addo expressed the gratitude of the government and people of Ghana to the two envoys for their time in the country.
He was optimistic they would promote the Ghanaian agenda wherever they might find themselves and wished them well in their future endeavours.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent