Shani Cooper (right), Israeli Ambassador to Ghana presenting credentials to President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House In Accra
President Akufo-Addo yesterday received the credentials of seven new foreign envoys who have been assigned to Ghana.
They are Aboubacar Sadikh Barry from Senegal, Anne Sphie Avé from France, Mohammed Ahmad All Homaid from Qatar, Shani Cooper from Israel, Meyer Kheir from Lebanon, Frances Virginia Anderson from Sierra Leone and Diana Acconcia, Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Ghana.
During a ceremony at the Jubilee House, Israeli Ambassador, Shani Cooper said, “friendship and ties, as we share between Ghana and the state of Israel, are precious. Since the reopening of a resident embassy in Ghana, we have witnessed tens of official visits and hundreds of business tours to Israel, which have been led by the Ghana-Israel Business Chamber.”
She added that Israel would seek the continuation of this trend to deepen relations between the two countries.
Her colleague Qatari Ambassador, Al Homaid said the Emir of the state of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thank was “looking forward to the President’s next visit to Qatar to further strengthen the relations between Ghana and Qatar.”
The French Ambassador, Ann Sphie Avé, indicated that both President Macron and President Akufo-Addo share the conviction that relations between Ghana and France are crucial.
That, she said, was part of reasons why President Macron was the first French President ever to visit Ghana in November last year.
She stressed, “France would be honoured to welcome your presidential visit in 2019.”
Ambassador Barry of Senegal, on his part, said his country and Ghana signed an agreement in 2014 to establish a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) which is yet to be met.
He promised to ensure that the PJCC meets to explore avenues for further cooperation.
New Head of the European Union Delegation in Ghana, Diana Acconcia, was of the belief that no sustainable and sustained development would be possible without building up education and skills that multiply the opportunities for young people to access quality jobs.
She stressed the commitment of the EU to working with Ghana to strengthen the educational drive of government and all multilateral institutions.
Ms Acconia was hopeful political and economic relations between Ghana and the EU would be deepened during her duty tour.
President Akufo-Addo congratulated all the seven envoys and reiterated his administration’s resolve to working closely with Israel, Sierra Leone, France, the state of Qatar, Senegal and Lebanon, as well as EU, to further deepen trade relations.
He reiterated government’s readiness to assist the envoys to have successful duty tours in Ghana.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent