Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago to deepen cooperation
Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago have elevated their bilateral ties a notch higher with the signing of a general cooperation agreement that will see them collaborate in various areas.
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The agreement, with oil and gas high on the cards, was signed at the Flagstaff House yesterday when the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, paid a working visit to the country.
Trinidad and Tobago has more than 100 years’ experience in the field of oil and gas, which the dual-island Caribbean nation, with a population of about two million, wants to share with Ghana.
The cooperation will also seek to expand relations in the petrochemical, governance, educational, science and technology, among other sectors.
President John Dramani Mahama, who witnessed the signing of the agreement with his guest, later hosted a state luncheon for the visiting Premier at the Banquet Hall of the Flagstaff House.
Dr Rowley is in the country with a host of government officials and technocrats.
President Mahama said tourism was also another source of cooperation which the two countries sought to develop.
Mr Thomas Manu (left), Director of Operations, GNPC, comparing notes with Mr Gerry Brooks, Chairman of the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, when the two signed the oil and gas agreement.
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HFC Bank
The President said one significant area in recent relations between the two countries was the acquisition of majority equity stake in the HFC Bank in Ghana by the Republican Bank Limited of Trinidad and Tobago in May 2015. The Republican Bank is the largest bank in the Caribbean.
He said the visit by Prime Minister Rowley was a positive step in opening a new chapter in Ghana/Trinidad and Tobago cooperation.
"Trinidad and Tobago offers a valuable source of learning and training, especially considering Ghana's entry into the comity of oil producing nations," he said.
The President also welcomed the decision by Trinidad and Tobago to collaborate with Ghana's tertiary institutions to train Ghanaians in energy.
History
Tracing the history of Ghana's relations with the Caribbean country, he said they dated back to the period of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and expressed the hope that future relations would improve on the present and grow from strength to strength.
Responding to the toast, Dr Rowley thanked the President and the people of Ghana for the warm reception and gave an assurance that his country would bring its expertise in energy to bear on Ghana's development.