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By Iddi Yire
Accra, March 8, GNA – The 2023 Session of the Ghana-European Union (EU) Political Dialogue Meeting has been held in Accra.
The one-day meeting was opened by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The last dialogue was held in 2021.
This year’s Dialogue offers participants the opportunity to assess the progress made on the implementation of the outcomes of the previous year’s Dialogue.
It also spells out Ghana and the EU’s respective and joint visions for the year, while exploring other avenues for cooperation in the thematic areas outlined in the agenda for this Dialogue.
Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in a speech read on her behalf by Mr Thomas Mbomba, a Deputy Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in-charge of Administration and Finance, said since their last meeting in 2021, the world had undergone a lot of turbulence.
She noted that they were facing an unprecedented level of global instability with the old challenges yet to be sufficiently addressed while new challenges were creating more global tensions that was affecting them all.
“This has truly tested our international system and those of us who believe in the rule of law and multilateralism must defend it,” she said.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey noted that this required strong partnerships, cooperation and dialogue among like-minded countries and institutions.
“I am happy, in that regard, that despite these challenges, the partnership between Ghana and the European Union, our largest development partner, continues to grow stronger and stronger.”
She said like in previous years, this year’s Ghana-EU dialogue was being held within the framework of the cooperation between Ghana and the EU that derived its impetus from the first Lomé Convention of 1975, signed between the then European Economic Community (EEC) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of States.
She said Ghana had since, together with the EU, maintained fruitful economic and political cooperation, which has deepened over the years with the signing of successive Partnership Agreements.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said she was elated that the Dialogue was being held at this time of the year, as today’s conclusions would set the tone for their activities this year during which they would work together to resolve pending issues.
She said over the period, their discussions had focused on issues such as economic diplomacy and partnership, democracy, good governance, climate change and sustainability, economic transformation, regional security and multilateralism, among others.
She reiterated that as strategic partners, there were areas where they must work together more strategically in order to achieve the desired objectives.
The Minister said she was optimistic that the outcome of their discussions today would contribute to further strengthen the relations between Ghana and the EU and assist them to address the challenges they face, for the benefit of their peoples.
On his part, Mr Irchad Razaaly, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Ghana, lauded the good relations that exist between Ghana and the EU and its member states; adding that the agenda for the Political Dialogue meeting reflects the richness, the width and breadth of this cooperation.
Also, in attendance at the Meeting was Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister.
GNA
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