President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has received letters of credence from six new foreign envoys who are accredited by their countries to begin their duty tour in Ghana.
The envoys include: H.E Ali Redjel of Algeria; H.E. Fidelia Graand-Galon of Suriname, H.E. Jon Tong Chol of North Korea; H.E. DR. Usura Harahap of Indonesia, H.E Leena Pyslvanainen of Finland, and H.E Mohamedour Musa Nje of The Gambia.
At separate ceremonies at the Jubilee House, in Accra, on Tuesday, the new envoys congratulated President Akufo-Addo on his re-election as ECOWAS Chair and the election of Ghana as a non-permanent member on the United Nations Security Council.
The envoys also commended Ghana for leading the integration agenda on the African continent and for hosting the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
They expressed their commitments to further deepen the ties of friendship between their countries and Ghana and seek new opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefits.
The Algerian envoy who extended his President’s (Abdelmadjid Tebboune) appreciation for the progress of Ghana-Algeria relations said President Akufo-Addo’s visit to Algeria would further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
On the International level, H.E Ali Redjel said Algeria and Ghana shared common objectives and convergence on political opinions that drive their foreign policies, particularly in the areas of peace and security, support for justice and the establishment of equitable international order.
At the regional level, the Algerian envoy said the two countries share the same vision of Africa unity and played a leading role in consolidating the security and stability in their respective regional blocs, particularly the Sahel region which is under threat of destabilisation from terrorist groups and international organised crime.
H.E Ali Redjel said the Algerian government preferred African solutions to African conflicts through peaceful means in the exclusive interest of Africa.
He expressed Algeria’s determination to engage with Ghana as a member of the United Nations Security Council, Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as the current Chairman of ECOWAS, to consolidate the stability and security of Africa and encourage dialogue and conflict resolution in conflict areas without external intervention.
H.E. Jon Tong Chol of North Korea said Ghana has successfully managed to position the country firmly on the path of progress and prosperity, overcoming all kinds of challenges and adversities.
The North Korean envoy said Ghana was increasingly becoming the envy of Africa and the world at large.
He said North Korea and Ghana for over 60 years had strengthened bilateral ties and mutual support in pursuit of liberation and independent development.
H.E. Jon Tong Chol said the North Korean government remained determined to further enhance the friendship and corporation with Ghana in conformity with fresh demands of development realities.
The Indonesian envoy, H.E. Dr. Usura Harahap said the diplomatic relations between Ghana and Indonesia dates back to 1959, which has further been deepened over the years in the areas of bilateral corporation and friendship.
The Finland envoy on his part said Ghana had been a close friend and a collaborator of Finland both bilaterally and on international level, which she assured would further be strengthened and expanded under her duty tour.
She expressed her admiration for the positive and active role that Ghana had played in the promotion of democracy, human rights, peace and security in the continent and beyond.
When she took her turn, the Suriname Ambassador to Ghana said the strong bilateral and cultural ties between the two countries had shown a momentum of rapid development and integration.
H.E. Fidelia Graand-Galon particularly praised Ghana for organising the “Year of Return” which gave black people all over the world the opportunity to return home.
She was optimistic that the long-standing relations and history of partnership between her country and Ghana would be strengthened further.
President Akufo-Addo, on his part, congratulated the new envoys on their appointment and welcomed them to Ghana.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to deepening the relations between Ghana and their respective countries.
The President said Ghana’s commitment to work with ECOWAS, AU and the rest of the world was one of the important tenets of the country’s foreign policy.
President Akufo-Addo recalled the long association and bond of friendship between Ghana and Algeria which dates back to pre-independence and had continued to this day.
He thanked Algeria for the support it gave Ghana in her bid as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and promised to work for the collective interest of the continent.
He assured that Ghana would deepen its economic ties with Algeria and expand the frontiers of investments, particularly in the energy sector.
On the issue of the unconstitutional overthrow of democratic governments in West Africa, President Akufo-Addo said the ECOWAS was determined to ensure that the region remained a democratic space.
On the relations between Suriname and Ghana, President Akufo-Addo assured to deepen the economic, political and cultural relations between the two countries.
He described AfCFTA agreement as one of the most important decisions of the African Union and said Ghana was committed to the integration agenda of the continent.
“If indeed, it works, it would be a major platform for the development and empowerment of the continent, he said”.
President Akufo-Addo wished the envoys a successful duty tour in Ghana.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
