Ghana Closes Ranks With Jamaica�Germany To Explore Renewable Energy

Ghana and Jamaica have resolved to spread economic activities towards deepening trade between the two countries. According to the Jamaican high commissioner to Ghana, Mrs. Lylen Anna Scott, this can be achieved by looking at investment opportunities in both countries. The Jamaican high commissioner expressed this idea when she presented her Letters Of Credence to President John Dramani Mahama at the Flagstaff House, Kanda in Accra yesterday. Ghana and Jamaica, she noted, are the same people, but separated by distance which should not be a barrier to deepening operation. Welcoming her, President Mahama said he has declared his intention to the Jamaican Prime Minister to revive the Joint Cooperation of both countries. According to him, it is imperative to work closely since the last time the Jamaican leader visited Ghana in 1997. Aside from the Jamaican high commissioner, other ambassadors who have been accredited to Ghana also presented their Letters Of Credence yesterday. Receiving the Letters Of Credence from the Malian ambassador, Konandji Aissata (nee Coulibaly), President Mahama expressed Ghana�s interest in trading with its neighbours as a move to reduce the wide gap with respect to international trade with other continent. He said Ghana was concerned about the Malian crisis and was happy it ended in a peaceful settlement which led to the election of their new leader, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. When the German ambassador, Rudiger John, presented his Letters of Credence, President Mahama said the level of bilateral trade which has existed between Ghana and Germany for the last few years stood at 600 million euros. He said the relationship between Ghana and Germany is very important, especially when Germany has supported Ghana in food security, health and in the small and medium scale sectors, as well as in the peacekeeping which resulted in the building of the Kofi Annan Peace-keeping Centre. Germany, he noted, has shown good faith in Ghana by investing, with about 155 companies operating in various sectors of the country. Responding to the President, the German ambassador, Mr. Rudiger John, announced that Germany, which did not fall to the net of the economic crunch, is investing up to 150 million euros in technical and financial cooperation projects in Ghana up to the end of this year since 2012. In addition, he said Germany is going to explore common projects in the areas of Renewable Energy and that Germany is a trailblazer in revolutionizing an entire energy system. Which he took his turn, President Mahama praised the Catholic Church for speaking out against ills in society. According to him, the Catholic Church has spread its wings in every aspect of the human development by setting up schools, hospitals and credit schemes, among others. President Mahama used the occasion to praise the Pope for reaffirming and improving relationships amongst other religions. On his part, the ambassador of the Vatican to Ghana, His Excellency Jean Marie Speich, said he has been briefed by his predecessor and therefore has a fair understanding of issues here. He said the Pope was pleased to welcome His Excellency James Bebaako-Mensah as the first resident ambassador to the Holy See. Last but not the least was the Vietnamese ambassador, Mr. Hoang Ngoc Ho, who said the last nine months of 2013 saw bilateral trade volume between Ghana and Vietnam stand at $267 million, representing 25% of the 2012 trade volume which he said fell below expectation although it was impressive. He pledged to promote the cooperation of the two countries in the areas of agriculture, aqua fishery, commerce and industrial manufacturing. President Mahama, on his part, said Vietnam is a big player in production of rice which is itself needed to supply food to the world, whose population is increasing.