Accra (Ghana)
The Republic of Italy and that of Ghana have renewed their commitments to deepen the ties of co-operation, bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries and to continue to explore other areas of mutual interests for the benefit of their respective populations.
According to the bilateral discussions between President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinal Palace, in Rome, Italy, on Friday as part of the President Akufo-Addo’s four-day official visit to Italy, the Italian leader lauded Ghana’s continued adherence to the tenets of democracy, good governance, the rule of law and the principles of democratic accountability.
He noted that these commitments have made Ghana a beacon of democracy and stability not only in West Africa, but also on the continent of Africa.
Responding, President Akufo-Addo, noted that Ghana and Italy have had strong relations spanning several decades, which have resulted in many Italian companies being successful in their operations in Ghana.
He reiterated Ghana’s commitment to work with Italy and thanked the Italian President for the support given to Ghana by Ita¬ly, a member of the Creditor Com¬mittee for Ghana under the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments, in the restructuring of Ghana’s finances, which helped her secure a $3-billion Extended Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund.
The report by the Ghanaian Times on Monday quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying that collaboration with Italy in the development of Ghana’s phar¬maceutical and agro-based indus¬tries was high on the agenda of his visit, and indicated that it would be one of the matters he would bring up in his discussions with the Italian Prime Minister during his visit.
It added both leaders agreed that the quest for the development of their respective economies will not be possible in conditions of chaos and armed conflict and President Mattarella applauded the role being played by Ghana in helping to confront the jihadist and terrorist threat in the Sahel.
President Mattarella and Presi¬dent Akufo-Addo were unanimous in their call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, which, in the words of the Ghana¬ian leader, is long overdue.
The report also said that President Akufo-Addo would be delivering the keynote address at the 4th ECAM Summit in Rome, which has been put together as a sideline event to coincide with the Coor¬dination Hub of the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment in Rome.
The summit will discuss chal¬lenges and opportunities in the fields of healthcare and food safety in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
GIK/APA
Ghana, Italy renew commitment to deepen ties of co-operation
