Ghana is important to France -French Ambassador

Ghana is an important partner to France, the Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr François Pujolas, has said.

He stressed that Ghana had a lot of potential and was very important to Europe.

“Thanks to its geographical location, history and democratic values, and of course its dynamism,Ghana for us today, and without any doubt, is one of the important hubs of investment and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa,” the Ambassador assured.   

France relates to Ghana through their trust in democracy and for them, Ghana is exemplary in West Africa, thanks to its political stability, its attachment to the values of freedom and human rights, he emphasised.

The French Ambassador was speaking to the Daily Graphic exclusively during the celebration of the French National Day, organised by the French Embassy at the residency in Accra last Thursday.

He said France, along with the French speaking world, wished to deepen their bonds with Ghana, which joined the  International Organisation of Francophonie (IOF) in 2006,  thus completing 10 years of its entry this year. 

These are not only human, linguistic and cultural ties, but also political and economic ties, he noted.

 In this respect, he said he was sure that the knowledge of French would be an asset for the Ghanaian youth in their future career. 

“As you can see, Ghana and France do share convergent visions about the future.” 

Security issues

 Addressing dignitaries at the celebration later, he said today’s main challenge was security. 

France offers here in Ghana, (notably at the Kofi Annan International Peace -Keeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) and also in West Africa and back home), high level military training to Ghanaians and other African officers. 

Mr Pujolas stressed that France is a country that shares strong and ancient links with West Africa. He added: In Mali, with the help of our allies, France is contributing in ensuring peace and security in the entire region.

“Thanks to our commitment for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, France is the country which makes maximum number of operational port calls per year in Ghana,” he observed, adding that  “we also contribute, through our practical training and cooperation programmes, in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism. 

“I think I can say that France has become a very important partner for Ghana in the field of defense and security today.

Economic and political development

The Ambassador also touched on economic development which involved the creation of a favourable environment for growth,  that is built on a sound financial basis. This must be sustainable and inclusive, he added.

 In this regard, France welcomes efforts undertaken by the Ghanaian Government, mainly in the framework of the agreement signed with IMF. 

France, for its part, will remain on the side of Ghana, with its yearly bi-lateral and multi-lateral aid of 100 million US dollars; thanks to the continued interest expressed by the French SMEs and big groups for doing business in Ghana, and dynamism of its young French Chamber of Commerce.  

At the same time, we are going to bring in the French expertise in the key sectors that are crucial to Ghana’s future development, namely agri-business, secondary luxury goods, tourism, collective services like water, electricity, transport and waste management,” the Ambassador added. 

He, therefore, announced that the French Embassy in Accra forum scheduled for September 29 and 30, 2016, in the domain of sustainable cities and Public Private Partnership (PPPs), bringing together actors from our countries around these subjects, was welcomed.

The French Ambassador said he was confident that the upcoming elections would reaffirm the political maturity of Ghana and a sense of responsibility of its people. 

He said regional integration for Ghana was a priority, adding that France wholeheartedly backed and supported this vision as it aimed at ensuring peace, stability and economic development of the region. 

Education and Culture

Speaking on education and culture, he said their cooperation in the field relied mainly on the youth of the country in whose talent they believed completely. 

“Our priority is to firstly help Ghana in learning French in secondary schools, universities and even in public administration,” he said.  He than announced that they recently signed an agreement to that end with Ghana’s Ministry of Education.

He disclosed that the number of students going to France next September was showed an increase in take. 

“Among our priority domains to develop educational cooperation are environmental studies, renewable energies, agri-business, hotel and tourism management, pharmaceuticals and health management,” he stated.

In order to achieve these goals, the French Embassy in Ghana, and the “France in Ghana” will team with all its members (Alliance française, Chamber of Commerce, French school, CampusFrance, AFD, French agency for Development, Maison Française and Institut français) and are committed to working in close collaboration with their Ghanaian partners. 

He announced the construction of a brand new French Embassy to be completed in 2018 as a symbol of their trust and friendship with Ghana, adding that the new embassy would be built on the same premises of the residence of the French Ambassador.  

Celebration of the National Day

The French National Day, also known as the Bastille Day, brought together Ghana Government representatives and Members of Parliament, including the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Mr Mahama Ayariga.

Other dignitaries  included the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and the Greater-Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo and heads of various institutions, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Guests were entertained with very nice cultural performances and nice music. 

They also had a taste of French cuisine, by way of finger foods and nice drinks.

The French Ambassador later proposed a toast of health and friendship and wished both France and Ghana well.

He expressed the hope that the already cordial relationship between the two countries will be further strengthened.

Writer’s Email: kate.hudson@graphic.com.gh