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President John Dramani Mahama has made a case for two tourist sites to be acknowledged as World Heritage Sites during his recent trip to Paris.

Mr Mahama, who opened an exhibition on Nature Conservation in Ghana at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), later held a meeting with the Director General of UNESCO, Mrs Irina Bokova, and pushed for the Mole National Park in the Northern Region and Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, to be recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

“The Akwamu Gorge, also with a variety of almost extinct species, was also discussed to see how we can improve both conservation and tourism in that area,” Mr Mahama added in a press release from the Flagstaff House concerning his trip.

President Mahama pointed out that Air France had concluded plans to commence direct flights between Accra and Paris, and according to him, “it falls in line with our vision of making Accra a major aviation hub in West Africa”.

Ghana, Mr Mahama stated, is highly respected in the international community and everybody recognises that the country is rising and doing well.

“In my absence, we were pleased to hear that Moody’s Credit Rating Agency had upgraded Ghana. It shows that we are doing something right and we are pleased about the way things are happening. Let us continue to work together as one nation. Let’s believe in ourselves and I believe that more than the sky is the limit,” he continued.

President Mahama, who returned home Wednesday night from France, has described his meeting with French President Francois Hollande as “very good and fruitful”.

Tuesday’s meeting at the Élysée Palace discussed bilateral assistance, economic cooperation, and private sector investment in Ghana.

The discussions also centred on “extending AfDB support to our efforts to achieve universal water coverage by 2025 so that all Ghanaians can have access to clean drinking water”, President Mahama told journalists on arrival in Accra.

President Mahama was in Paris to participate in UNESCO’s IPDC Talks, where he spoke about peace, justice, media freedoms and responsibilities as it relates to the Sustainable Development Goals 16 of the 2030 Agenda.