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At Ghana’s Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo welcomed President William Samoei Ruto, the president of Kenya, who was visiting the country for three days.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the purpose of the visit is to reaffirm the friendship and cooperation links that the two nations maintain in their bilateral relationships during a period of significant upheaval in the continental and global arenas.
Established shortly after Kenya gained independence in 1963, diplomatic ties between Ghana and Kenya were forged during the colonial era when both nations were fighting to free themselves from the yoke of colonialism and imperialism and create conditions for their peoples to live free and dignified lives. Since then, the two countries have collaborated widely on issues of shared interest, including peacekeeping, regional integration, and sustainable development.
President Ruto’s visit sparked talks on attracting global and local investment prospects into both nations, as well as the need for more cooperation and engagement in joint developmental initiatives, in a nation renowned for its warm hospitality.
Held in an atmosphere of brotherly cordiality and fruitful exchanges, the discussions also focused further on the areas of education, agriculture, defense co-operation, immigration, environment, science and technology, petroleum and hydro-carbons resources, tourism and security, were
According to President Akufo-Addo, under the Guided Trade Initiative of the AfCFTA, which has enabled Ghana for instance, to make significant inroads into the East African market, notably Kenya and Tanzania, the participation of Ghana, Kenya and six other countries, “will stimulate intra-African trade, amplify our competitive advantage and solidify our status within the global market.”
Touching on the several Memoranda of Understanding signed on various areas of cooperation between the two countries, President Akufo-Addo said the implementation of these MoUs will invigorate and spearhead cooperation in various sectors between our two countries.
“Just as the first leaders of our two nations, Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta, were united by their common determination to free our peoples from foreign domination and racist exploitation, so are we united in our determination to win the battle for rapid economic development by helping to intensify the value adding, industrial transformation of our economies anchored on the things we make and grow,” he said.
The two leaders, following bilateral engagements, also agreed, based on the current circumstances, to demonstrate the urgent need to put back on the global agenda, “the demand for the reform of the United Nations, especially the composition and structure of Security Council on the basis of the African Common Position on UN reforms as enunciated in the Ezulwini consensus,” as well as the “reform of the International Monetary System, to facilitate equity and fairness in the operation of the system to enable African countries, get easier access to capital to finance the African market”
Emphasising the need to maintain a balance between social, economic, and environmental imperatives so as not to jeopardize Africa’s prospects for development, they called on the developed nations of the world, who are responsible for 76% of carbon emissions as against Africa’s 4%, to honor their commitment to the developing countries in the world to assist in the fight against climate change as agreed at both COP 21 in Paris and COP 26 in Glassgow.
President Akufo-Addo also used the opportunity of the visit to seek support from President Ruto for the candidature of Ghana’s “dynamic Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth, at the forthcoming election for the position, to be held during the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting in Samoa come October.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
