Javier Gutiérrez, the Spanish ambassador to Ghana, paid Ato Afful, the managing director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), a courtesy visit.
The purpose of the trip was to strengthen ties between the GCGL and the Spanish Embassy in the nation.
English Translation
The Spanish Embassy will launch a Spanish Department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in August of this year, according to Mr. Guitierrez, who spoke during the visit.
He said that a Spanish academic will come to Ghana to work on establishing the department. He said that the action was a part of the Embassy's aim to increase the number of Ghanaians who are fluent in Spanish.
"We want Ghanaians to know more about Spain and Latin America, and we think that learning Spanish is highly helpful for business and international connections. A really excellent possibility for them to study in Spain and Latin America is to know Spanish, he added.
According to him, there are more nations that speak Spanish than any other language in the world, and it is the third most popular language online.
Mr. Gutiérrez bemoaned the fact that although Spain offered several scholarships to Ghanaians, many of them could not apply because they did not understand the language.
In addition to scholarships from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we also have awards from several Spanish civil society organisations. We are also attempting to increase the number of Ghanaians who travel to Spain to study, he said.
He mentioned Ghana's peace and stability, saying that those qualities have made the nation a desirable location for enterprises and investment.
He said that throughout the years, Spain and Ghana have actively collaborated in the fields of defence and counterterrorism.
the purpose of the visit
The visit was to learn more about the GCGL's operations and goals as well as to have more direct conversations with the management regarding the future.
He mentioned that he read the Daily Graphic every morning and thought it was more instructive while appreciating its substance. I believe you are doing a fantastic job upholding democracy, human rights, and a free and open society. Thank you!" he said.
He stated that he was interested in cultural diplomacy and queried the reason the journal was not published on Sundays.
Relationship progressing
The Editor of Graphic, Kobby Asmah, characterised the conversation with the Ambassador as fruitful and emphasised the need for more of this kind of interaction if Ghana and Spain were to strengthen their bilateral relations.
He walked the Ambassador through the several GCGL publications, discussing their history, release dates, and intended audiences.
Additionally, he discussed the company's digital platforms, GraphicOnline and Graphic Newsplus, noting that they were created to spread news to more people wherever they were.
Following a courtesy visit on him at his office in Accra, Javier Gutiérrez, the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, is escorted out by Ato Afful, the Managing Director of the GCGL (on the left). Kobby Asmah, a graphic editor, is present. Emmanuel Quaye photos
In response to the question of why the Daily Graphic is not published on Sundays, Mr. Asmah stated that the company's selling channel was the streets, but on Sundays, many people stayed at home.
In addition, he added, the business desired a longer shelf life for the Saturday papers.