The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has praised the existing bilateral relationship between Ghana and Niger.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey in a statement to receive the open letters of the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Niger to Ghana, Lamido Salamtou Bala Goga, recalled with satisfaction, the long history of brotherliness, friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance that has characterised relations between Ghana and Niger for more than a century.
The Ambassadors-designate presented her open letters to madam Ayorkor Botchwey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Accra on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
The Foreign Minister indicated that the pioneering efforts of the first Presidents of the two countries, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Hamani Diori, to unite the African continent with a common purpose of African emancipation have strengthened cooperation towards the consolidation of peace, economic liberation and poverty eradication between the two countries.
According to her, the excellent relations, in recent times, have continued to be cordial as both countries maintained close ties in various spheres of mutual interests, particularly, on issues of economy, trade and security;
She added that in a bid to further deepen ties with Niger, Ghana on 1st January 2018, opened a Consulate-General in Niamey and noted with satisfaction that in the interest of further deepening ties between the two countries, the Consulate-General was upgraded to the status of an Embassy on 7th August, 2019.
In furtherance of its commitment to deepening relations with Niger, the Foreign Minister stressed that Ghana desired to construct a permanent structure to house its Chancery and the Ambassador’s residence in Niamey.
In that regard, she reiterated Ghana’s request for a parcel of land within the diplomatic enclave of Niamey to construct a Chancery and Ambassador’s residence and expressed the hope that in the spirit of the historical relations that exist between the two countries, the government of Niger will expedite action on Ghana’s request.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey recalled that Ghana and Niger signed a five-year Bilateral Agreement on General Cooperation on 19th June, 2018 and underscorede the importance of commissioning a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) to serve as a forum for addressing the challenges and implementation of the agreement.
She revealed that the excellent relation between the two countries was further demonstrated by the over one million Nigeriens in Ghana who were engaged in trading activities and a large number of Ghanaians also living and working in Niger.
She seized the opportunity to congratulate the Niger Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) for their outstanding role in ensuring a successful election and noted with satisfaction, the democratic path embarked upon by the brotherly people of Niger that resulted in the free, fair and credible run-off election in December, 2020.
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