Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has received Open Letters of Mr Hadera Abera Admassu, the Ethiopian Ambassador-designate to Ghana.

The Minister congratulated Mr Admassu on his appointment as the Ambassador-designate of Ethiopia to Ghana and wished him a successful duty tour in Ghana.

She acknowledged the long-standing and deep-rooted relations between Ghana and Ethiopia started by the venerable first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia adding that the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries largely led to the formation of the predecessor of the African Union (AU), the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

The Minister said the success story of AU/OAU was a manifestation of what excellent bilateral relations result into at the multilateral level and called for the enhancement of bilateral relations between the two countries giving assurance that the Ministry was willing to support efforts at strengthening existing ties between Ghana and Ethiopia.

Mrs Ayorkor-Botchwey said given Mr Admassu’s extensive professional experience, his appointment offered an opportunity for the two countries to cooperate in the field of intelligence gathering and sharing as well as training of intelligence officials to help combat terrorism and related security threats.

She commended Mr Regessa Kefale Ere, the immediate past Ambassador of Ethiopia to Ghana, for the exemplary work done during his tenure in deepening the bonds of friendship between Ghana and Ethiopia and expressed the hope that the Ambassador-designate would build on that.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey acknowledged with gratitude the relentless and strong support the Government of Ethiopia gave Ghana in the successful bid for the hosting of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and emphasized on the need for the two countries to take advantage of the AfCFTA to boost trade between them.

She underscored the need for both countries to conclude and sign the proposed Agreement for Joint Declaration of Strategic Partnership between the two countries since it offered the framework required to increase cooperation between Ghana and Ethiopia.

The Minister commended Ethiopia for its determined fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s exemplary role in the distribution of materials across African countries and the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals by Ethiopian Airlines.

She extended Government’s appreciation to the Ethiopian Government for its cooperation and support for the sod-cutting ceremony of Ghana’s Chancery building in Addis Ababa during the African Union (AU) Summit in February 2020.

The Minister assured the Ambassador of Ghana’s determination to continue to work with Ethiopia within the framework of AU, UN and other International Organizations to which both countries belonged.
Mr Admassu said Ghana and Ethiopia were the largest contributors of peacekeeping forces in the world; and therefore, called for cooperation between the two countries.