Intra-African Trade, Joint Co-Operation Tops Discussions Upon Prez Ruto’s Visit To Ghana

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 3rd April, 2024, welcomed his Kenyan counterpart, President William Samoei Ruto, who is on a three-day visit to Ghana, at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The visit, President Akufo-Addo says, is to reaffirm the ties of cooperation and the bonds of friendship that the two countries attach to their relations with each other, at a time of great turbulence in global and continental spheres.

Forged from colonial times when both countries were in the common struggle to free themselves from the yoke of colonialism and imperialism and create conditions for dignified and free lives for their peoples, diplomatic relations between Ghana and Kenya were established shortly after Kenya gained independence in 1963, and have been active participants in regional and international fora, collaborating widely on issues of mutual interest such as peacekeeping, regional integration and sustainable development.

In a country famed for their enviable hospitality, discussions upon President Ruto’s visit, centered on driving investment opportunities, domestic and foreign, into both countries and touched on the need for enhanced cooperation and partnership in shared developmental efforts.

Held in an atmosphere of brotherly cordiality and fruitful exchanges, the discussions also focused further on the areas of education, agriculture, defense co-operation, immigration, environment, science and technology, petroleum and hydro-carbons resources, tourism and security, were

According to President Akufo-Addo, under the Guided Trade Initiative of the AfCFTA, which has enabled Ghana for instance, to make significant inroads into the East African market, notably Kenya and Tanzania, the participation of Ghana, Kenya and six other countries, “will stimulate intra-African trade, amplify our competitive advantage and solidify our status within the global market.”

Touching on the several Memoranda of Understanding signed on various areas of cooperation between the two countries, President Akufo-Addo said the implementation of these MoUs will invigorate and spearhead cooperation in various sectors between our two countries.

“Just as the first leaders of our two nations, Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta, were united by their common determination to free our peoples from foreign domination and racist exploitation, so are we united in our determination to win the battle for rapid economic development by helping to intensify the value adding, industrial transformation of our economies anchored on the things we make and grow,” he said.

The two leaders, following bilateral engagements, also agreed, based on the current circumstances, to demonstrate the urgent need to put back on the global agenda, “the demand for the reform of the United Nations, especially the composition and structure of Security Council on the basis of the African Common Position on UN reforms as enunciated in the Ezulwini consensus,” as well as the “reform of the International Monetary System, to facilitate equity and fairness in the operation of the system to enable African countries, get easier access to capital to finance the African market”

Emphasising the need to maintain a balance between social, economic, and environmental imperatives so as not to jeopardize Africa’s prospects for development, they called on the developed nations of the world, who are responsible for 76% of carbon emissions as against Africa’s 4%, to honor their commitment to the developing countries in the world to assist in the fight against climate change as agreed at both COP 21 in Paris and COP 26 in Glassgow.

President Akufo-Addo also used the opportunity of the visit to seek support from President Ruto for the candidature of Ghana’s “dynamic Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth, at the forthcoming election for the position, to be held during the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting in Samoa come October.