Ghana and Italy have renewed their commitments to deepening the ties of cooperation and the bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries, as well as to continue to explore areas of mutual interests for the benefit of their respective populations. This was made known on Friday, 21st July 2023, when the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, held bilateral discussions with the President of the Republic of Italy, His Excellency Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinal Palace, in Rome, Italy, as part of the President’s 4-day official visit to that country. Welcoming President Akufo-Addo, his Italian counterpart lauded Ghana’s continued adherence to the tenets of democracy, good governance, the rule of law and to the principles of democratic accountability, all of which, he said, have made Ghana a beacon of democracy and stability not only in West Africa, but also on the continent of Africa. President Akufo-Addo, on his part, 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, citing the Italian engineering firm, Impregilo, which constructed the Akosombo Dam, as an example. 62yr-old Ghana still a ‘work in progress’ – Akufo-Addo Reiterated Ghana’s commitment to working with Italy, the President thanked the Italian President for the support given to Ghana by Italy, a member of the Creditor Committee 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. Collaboration with Italy in the development of the Ghana’s pharmaceutical and agro-based industries, President Akufo-Addo said, is high on the agenda of his visit, and indicated that it will be one of the matters he will bring up in his discussions with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, 24th July 2023. Both leaders agreed that the quest for the development of their respective economies will not be possible in conditions of chaos and armed conflict. To this end, President Mattarella applauded the role being played by Ghana in helping to confront the jihadist and terrorist threat in the Sahel.

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Emmanuel Darko

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