The President Nana Akufo Addo has signed bilateral instruments of co-operation in the areas of defence, political consultation and trade between Ghana and Portugal.

Explaining the significance of the deal, Akufo Addo said ”this latest form of engagement would go a long way to strengthen the ties of friendship and the bonds of co-operation between Ghana and Portugal.

Speaking at a Joint Press Conference with President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, as part of his 3-day State Visit to Portugal on Tuesday, the President stated that the move “is borne out of a decision by Ghana “to turn our back on our old economy, which has been dependent on the production and export of raw materials, and also dependent on aid.”

According to President Akufo-Addo, “we want to build a value-added, industrialized economy with a modernized agriculture, which is neither victim nor pawn of the world economic order. We want our relations with Portugal and, indeed, the rest of the world, to be characterized by an increase in trade and investment co-operation.”

He added that “this is the way to develop healthy relations between our two countries, and put Ghana at the high end of the value chain in the global market place, and create jobs for the teeming masses of Ghanaians, particularly the youth.”

He pointed out that, the discussions also focused on boosting further political, cultural, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation at the multilateral level and on the need to promote a better world by addressing global issues relating to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Towards this end, “we have noted with satisfaction the value that the Ghana-Portugal Business Forum scheduled to be held today, Wednesday will add to our investment initiatives, he said.”