British High Commissioner calls on President-elect Mahama

THE British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the President-elect, John Dramini Mahama, at his office in Accra.

During the meeting, High Commissioner Thompson congratulated the President-elect on his electoral victory and expressed her government's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Ghana.

The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including trade, investment and development cooperation. 

They also explored opportunities for deepening collaboration in areas such as education, healthcare and infrastructural development.

Assistance

Mr Mahama expressed appreciation for the United Kingdom’s (UK's) support for Ghana's development and reiterated his government's commitment to democratic governance, human rights and the rule of law.

He said there were some emergencies that needed to be tackled immediately to ensure stability, including the looming power crisis. 

“If we don’t do something about the energy sector it could crash everything that we are doing, so as quickly as possible we want to look at what assistance we could get looking at the entire energy sector value chain to ensure a more sustainable sector going forward,” the President-elect said. 

He called on the country’s development partners to provide assistance to the country in that regard. 

“Whatever our partners can do in terms of technical cooperation and resources mobilisation,” he said. 

Engagements 

The meeting marked the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana-UK relations, with both sides expressing their commitment to working together to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

The two countries have a long history of cooperation, and the meeting marked a new chapter in their relationship.
High Commissioner Thompson's visit to Mr Mahama follows similar engagements that started yesterday after the election last Saturday. 

Interests 

She said the UK government’s interests matched the President-elect’s 120 days agenda to reset the country. 

“Your 120 days plan and our interests coincide, talking about health, education and particularly economic growth and job creation,” she said. 

She said UK was committed to supporting Ghana's development and promoting trade and investment between the two countries.

President-elect Mahama's commitment to democratic governance, human rights and the rule of law was also welcomed by High Commissioner Thompson.