British High Commissioner bids country farewell

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has congratulated the outgoing British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Iain Walker, on the successful completion of his duty tour of the country.

That was when the latter called on the minister to bid her farewell.

Mr Walker was appointed British High Commissioner to Ghana in August 2017.

Prior to that, he had served as a Board Member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London as its Director of Finance and Strategy.

Ghana, UK relations

Ms Botchwey acknowledged that bilateral relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom (UK) witnessed active engagements and growth during the tenure of the High Commissioner, who she said discharged his duties creditably and with a high sense of purpose and tenacity.

The minister also commended the High Commissioner for his exemplary work, which resulted in a number of high-level UK official visits to Ghana, including the visit by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in November 2018 and the UK Minister for Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Mr James Duddridge, in January 2021.

Other visits were by the UK Minister for the Armed Forces, Mr James Heappey, in February 2021 and the UK Secretary of State for Home Department, Ms Priti Patel, last week.

Ms Botchwey also recalled that during his duty tour, Ghana and the UK signed the Interim Trade Partnership Agreement, which is expected to provide duty free and quota free access for Ghana to the UK market and same preferential tariff reductions for British exporters into the Ghanaian market.

Ghana/UK relations in the area of security also moved a notch higher during Mr Walker’s tour, the minister added.

She expressed appreciation for the instrumentality of the High Commissioner in the establishment of the Ghana-UK Business Council in 2018 to promote bilateral relations and strategic partnership between the private sectors of both countries in trade and investment.

Social sector

The minister further highlighted the immense contributions by the UK to Ghana’s social and economic development.

Ms Botchwey mentioned, for instance, the UK’s support to Ghana’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the former’s pledge of a £450,000 support package to help Ghana's pharmaceutical sector.

The UK had also expressed its commitment to continue to offer public health epidemiological modelling support to Ghana, she added.

The minister assured the outgoing High Commissioner of the determination of the government to transform the Ghanaian economy through value addition and export-oriented growth, with the private sector as the main player.

Appreciation

Mr Walker expressed appreciation to the minister and the people of Ghana for the support given him during his duty tour of the country.

He said although he would miss the people and their warm reception, he would continue to champion the cause of Ghana for growth and prosperity.