President Akufo-Addo hosts two European leaders

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday played host to the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Mark Rhutte, and the President of France, Mr Emmanuel Macron, at the Flagstaff House.

Mr Rhutte is on a three-day official visit to Ghana, while Mr Macron, who was on a day’s official visit, has since left the country.

Terrorism and instability

Speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony and the lighting of the perpetual flame at the Cenotaph at the Black Star Square in Accra on Thursday, President Akufo-Addo and his French counterpart pledged to collaborate more to eradicate the twin evils of terrorism and instability that threaten the security and socio-economic fortunes of Africa and Europe.

Both leaders also pledged to strengthen the bond of friendship between their countries and forge more mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of trade and investment to foster sustainable growth and opportunities for their people.

The ceremony was to remember heroes who fell in the fight for world peace.

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Unity

The two Presidents harped on the need for unity between Africa and Europe to promote greater respect for human rights, pursue more integration efforts and forge partnerships that would tackle the challenges in health, security, climate change, sustainable development, growth and employment, terrorism and education.

President Akufo-Addo told the French leader that Ghana stood with France in the fight against extremism and would spare no effort to strengthen cooperations that would yield positive outcomes for the peoples of both nations.

Noting that Ghana is bordered on the east, west and north by French-speaking countries, he said: “We recognise the strategic importance of our immediate neighbours and France to the development of Ghana.”

Ghana’s strategic interest, President Akufo-Addo said, required that “we promote regional integration of countries of West Africa…we have to play a central role in enhancing the process of creating a genuine regional market out of ECOWAS, which is dominated by Francophone countries”.

Investment

Ghana and France have strong ties in trade and investment, security cooperation among others. Statistics indicate that French investment in Ghana totalled 1.5 billion Euros in 2015, making Ghana the seventh biggest destination for French investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

“We believe we can improve on this,” President Akufo-Addo said, adding that the government was taking measures to make Ghana the most business-friendly economy in Africa.

“These measures are aimed at attracting investments into Ghana, as well as stimulating growth of the private sector… we have decided to turn our back on the old economy that is dependent on export of raw material. We want to build a value-added industrialised economy, with modernised agriculture. We would not want to be a pawn of the world economic order,” he stressed.

Building partnerships

For his part, Mr Macron said France wanted to build a partnership with Ghana based on the “common past and common aspirations”.

He said France shared in Ghana’s value of championing freedom, human rights and democratic values, which had inspired many other African nations and the global community as a whole.

“Ghana remains an inspiration today…Its sense of democracy is a beacon for many countries in Africa and beyond. I am grateful to be here to celebrate Ghana’s history, its democracy and good governance,” he said.

Mr Macron called for unity among African states, commending Ghana for its role in the quest for regional integration and said Africa could take control of its future only when there was unity and stability on the continent.

“I am proud that Ghana and France have always been calling for the unification of the continent.

“France is strong in Europe and Ghana is strong in West Africa and AU, not only must Africa unite but also Europe and Africa must unite.

“Unite to join forces and energy to build a common future, unite to tackle challenges that face our generation, education, health, security, terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, growth and employment….all these challenges shared by both continents can only be addressed by both continents uniting,” the French President stressed.

Mr Macron said France would strengthen its partnership with Ghana at every level; political, economic, security and culture, saying: “We must reinforce our bilateral exchanges, education and business exchanges and cross investment because of the common interests both our countries share.”

Dutch Prime Minister

During talks between President Akufo-Addo and Mr Rhutte at the Flagstaff House, the Dutch Prime Minister noted that Ghana had been revitalised since the election of President Akufo-Addo.

He said he was particularly impressed with the call by the Ghanaian government to move its relationship with the economic world from aid to trade and pledged greater cooperation between The Netherlands and Ghana in the coming years.

President Akufo-Addo also expressed his excitement at the multiple visits to Ghana by European leaders over the past few days.

At the time of going to press, President Akufo-Addo was expected to receive the President of Estonia.