Ghana and Mozambique on Monday signed a visa waiver agreement to enable service and diplomatic passport holders of the two countries to travel to the other country without obtaining visas.
Additionally, the two countries signed an agreement on general cooperation—to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership by convening a joint permanent commission for cooperation to govern the relations between the two countries.
The two countries entered into the agreements at the Jubilee House, when the President of Mozambique, Felipe Jacinto Nyusi, paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of his four-day state visit to Ghana.
The Foreign Ministers of the two respective countries— Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of Ghana and Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo of Mozambique— signed on behalf of their countries, witnessed by the two Presidents.
In a press briefing after the signing of the agreements, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana and Mozambique have a common history which dates back to the struggle for freedom and independence from colonial rule.
That common history, President Akufo-Addo indicated, formed the basis for the two countries to renew their bond of friendship, especially during President Nyusi’s visit to Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo said the derangement in the global commodities market and supply chains and logistics, brought by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, had thought Africa a great lesson to vigorously pursue economic integration by liberalising and promoting trade among member states.
The visit of President Nyusi to Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said, was taking place when rising tensions across the globe, particularly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism were at their highest.
“Every country on this earth including our own is bearing the brunt of these developments, he stated.
“We are learning valuable lessons from them and that is to develop the necessary infrastructure and resilient systems to mitigate any such devastating impacts in future and that no country can go it alone,” added.
President Akufo-Addo expressed Ghana’s appreciation to Mozambique for supporting its bid to host the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
He said the importance of the AfCFTA should not be lost on any African country, as its success would transform the economic circumstances of the African continent.
President Akufo-Addo assured President Nyusi of Ghana’s support for Mozambique’s membership of a non-Permanent seat in the UN Security Council just as it supported Ghana’s bid to have a seat in the Council.
“I want to assure you that when the vote is taken in June for membership of the non-permanent seat for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ghana will be a firm and unconditional supporter of Mozambique for the seat,” Akufo-Addo said.
“Ghana is helping to ensure that Africa’s voice is heard loud and clear in the deliberations of the Security Council both on matters affecting the continent and on global issues and both of us are consulting broadly to define Africa’s interests,” he added.
President Nyusi later visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where he laid a wreath in honour of the late first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
As part of his visit, President Nyusi will attend the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the annual general meeting which is scheduled for 23 to 27 May 2022.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
