Ghana reinforces ties with Japan; …Sign more cooperation agreements

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida to Ghana has taken the already robust bilateral, political and economic relations as well as the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries a notch further.

This visit, which is the first of a Japanese Prime Minister since Junichiro Koizumi visited Ghana some Seventeen (17) years ago in 2006, when President Akufo-Addo was Foreign Minister, saw Ghana and Japan exchange notes for the Enhancement of Rice Seeds Production Capacity in Ghana and on the Human Resource Development Scholarship to support the training of young administrative officials in Japan.

Additionally, the sturdy development of Phase II of the project for the improvement of the Tema Motorway Roundabout, that serves as the junction of major Highways including the Abidjan-Lagos corridor which is critical for the development of the West African sub-region has also been re-affirmed.

Japan will also offer USD 500 million of support over the next three years to augment Ghana’s efforts through the Accra Initiative and other endeavours to secure peace and stability, of the Sahel region and the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea.

Speaking after a very productive bilateral session, President Akufo-Addo, said, birthed as far back as 1927 when Dr. Hideyo Noguchi arrived on the shores of the then Gold Coast to conduct research on Yellow Fever, relations between the two countires have witnessed countless successful strategic partnerships and co-operation with the street in front of the Japan Embassy in Accra, “named the Dr. Hideyo Noguchi Street, upon my instructions, in addition to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research located at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, in memory of that illustrious son of Japan and in appreciation of the continued generosity of the good people of Japan to Ghana.”

Throughout this period, he continued, Ghana has been a “great admirer of the Japanese model of Development and of Japan’s technological advancement and I informed the Prime Minister, we were benefitting from his country’s wealth of knowledge and experience to boost our own development.”

Thus, this evening, he added, “we have discussed at length how to boost further our political and economic relations, cultural and people to people exchanges as well as our cooperation at the multi-lateral level.”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Ghana on Monday, 1St May, 2023 on the second leg of an African tour which begun in Egypt and will see him visit Kenya and Mozambique.

The two leaders, whose countries occupy non-permanent member positions at the United Nation’s Security Council agreed to pursue key reforms to “reflect the changing circumstances of the world from 1945, when the composition and structure of the Security Council was established by the victorious powers of the second world war.”

Consistent with Ghana’s position on Russia’s war, President Akufo-Addo maintained that, “as the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain our independence from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism, Ghana became one of the five initiators of the historic non-aligned movement. Historically, we have always been against great power domination of the affairs of the world. It is a position we will continue to hold and that is why during the voting in the United Nation’s General Assembly, Ghana voted in favour of the motion condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Great powers, trampling on new and small nations and violating international law, are not things we welcome within our modest means, we will register our disapproval of them.”

Describing Ghana as a Ghana is a major economic hub of West Africa and an important partner with whom Japan shares fundamental values and principles such as democracy and rule of law, Premier Fumio Kushida, explained that, “the purpose of this visit to Ghana is to directly listen to the voices of Africa and to reflect such feedback in the discussions to take place at the G7 Hiroshima Summit.”

He said, Japan “has confirmed the importance of business and investment promotion between Ghana, the lynchpin of the West African economy, and Japan. Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki are operating assembly plants producing vehicles and these are great examples of our time. I also understand that Honda plans to set up an assembly plant by the end of this year. Another move which I hope will accelerate the business relationship between our two countries.”