President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, have sealed bilateral agreements in the area of defence, political consultation, and trade.
This new development, emphasized by President Akufo-Addo during a joint press conference in Lisbon on July 18, 2023, signifies a determined effort to fortify the bonds between Ghana and Portugal.
Addressing the media at a Joint Press Conference held in Lisbon on July 18, 2023, President Akufo-Addo emphasized that this initiative stems from Ghana’s determination to move away from an economy heavily reliant on raw material production and aid.
“We want to build a value-added, industrialised economy with a modernised 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 characterised by an increase in trade and investment co-operation. 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.”
The discussions between the two leaders also encompassed broadening political, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as cooperative efforts on multilateral platforms to address global issues, particularly in achieving 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 tomorrow will add to our investment initiatives”, President Akufo-Addo said.
Highlighting Portugal’s commitment, President Akufo-Addo revealed that the Portuguese President has pledged to advocate for Ghana’s interests within the European Union. In return, Ghana aims to facilitate enhanced economic engagement between Portugal and the member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is expected to amplify trade volumes and bring prosperity to both regions.
Addressing global security concerns, President Akufo-Addo indicated that he, alongside President Joe Biden of the United States and President Emmanuel Macron of France, eagerly anticipates the support of the other three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in endorsing reforms aligned with the Ezulwini consensus.
Moreover, he assured President De Sousa of Ghana’s commitment to collaborating with Portugal in tackling a range of pressing challenges, including poverty eradication, irregular migration, insecurity, human rights violations, terrorism, drug trafficking, piracy, and climate change’s detrimental impact on the environment and livelihoods.
