Ghana, France deepen bilateral relations

Ghana and France yesterday held the sixth in the series of political consultations in Accra, to deliberate on various issues, aimed at firming up more than six decades of diplomatic relations between them.

The one-day meeting attended by a 14-member delegation from France was in continuation of issues discussed at the fifth consultation was held in Paris, France last year.

The Ghanaian representatives were drawn from diverse Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) and led by Mr Albert Yankey, Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

 The French delegation was led by Mr Andre Parant, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The issues included French language cooperation, Ghana Beyond Aid, the opening of a new French embassy in Accra, Economic and Financial environment including cooperation with International Monetary Fund.

Representatives of the two countries also discussed investment perspectives and foreign investment, university cooperation, sustainable development goals and climate change and migration.

Security issues were not lost in the long list of agenda, as they delved into issues including human and drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorism, security in the sub-region and the Gulf of Guinea. 

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ambassador Albert Yankey touched on the importance of the dialogue cementing what both countries had been able to achieve over the years.

“Ghana is surrounded by French speaking countries and we have a mixed identity no longer calling ourselves Anglophones,” he said and expressed the  government’s commitment to the relation.

Mr Parant said his country was of the view that a closer bond between the two countries would help advance their market potentials and other aspects of their respective economies.

He noted that there was a growing desire by French companies to invest in Ghana and urged the government of Ghana to create the enabling environment for those companies to invest in Ghana.

BY JONATHAN DONKOR AND YUNUSAH ESSANDOH