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Ghana and Italy have reaffirmed their commitments to strengthening their friendship and co-operation and to continuing to look into shared interests for the benefit of their respective communities.
This was disclosed on Friday, July 21, 2023, during bilateral talks between President Nana Akufo-Addo and President Sergio Mattarella of the Republic of Italy at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, as part of the President’s 4-day official visit to the nation.
President Akufo-Addo was welcomed by his Italian colleague, who praised Ghana for continuing to uphold the values of democracy, good governance, the rule of law, and democratic accountability.
He claimed that as a result, Ghana has become a beacon of democracy and stability throughout all of Africa, not only in West Africa.
President Akufo-Addo, for his part, remarked on the long-standing positive ties between Ghana and Italy, which have led to many Italian businesses operating successfully in Ghana.
He used the construction of the Akosombo Dam by the Italian engineering company Impregilo as an illustration.
The President of Ghana reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with Italy and thanked the Italian President for Italy’s assistance in Ghana’s financial restructuring, which enabled Ghana to secure a $3 billion Extended Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund. Italy is a member of the Creditor Committee for Ghana under the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments.
President Akufo-Addo spoke about the importance of working with Italy to develop Ghana’s pharmaceutical and agro-based industries. He also said that he would bring up the subject during his meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which are scheduled to take place on Monday, July 24, 2023.
Both leaders concurred that an environment of anarchy and violent conflict will preclude the growth of their respective economies.
In light of this, President Mattarella praised Ghana’s contribution to the fight against the Sahelian jihadist and terrorist menace.
The Italian President praised the Accra Initiative and promised to work with his nation to ensure its success since, in his words, “the stability of the Sahel is important.”
In addition, President Mattarella promised that Italy will support efforts to combat the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
President Akufo-Addo stated that it was essential to redesign the global financial and economic architecture in order to ensure that systems of injustice and inequity in the financial sector are corrected. The Italian President agreed, stating that the current structure of the global financial architecture must be more responsive to the needs of the world.
President Akufo-Addo of Ghana stated that the United Nations Security Council has to be reformed, and both Presidents Mattarella and Akufo-Addo agreed.
“We are anxious that the matter of UN Reform be given priority on the global agenda. It is time to correct the longstanding injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN Security Council represent for the nations of Africa.
“We are encouraged, though, by the attitudes and sentiments of two (2) leaders of the five (5) Permanent Members of the Security Council, that is President Joe Biden of the United States of America and President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic. Both of them are the first leaders of their respective countries to call publicly for reform. We look forward to the leaders of the three (3) other Permanent Members also throwing their support behind the reform process,” President Akufo-Addo said.
While in Italy, President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to give the opening remarks at the 4th ECAM Summit in Rome, which has been planned as an adjunct activity to the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment Coordination Hub.
The Summit will go through potential and problems in the areas of food safety and healthcare across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
