Five Outgoing Ambassadors to Ghana, Her Excellency Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka, (Republic of Zimbabwe), His Excellency Mr. Babikir Elsiddig M. Elamin ( Republic of Sudan), His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Zeev Mehl (The State of Israel), His Excellency Mr. Robert P. Jackson (Untied States of America) and Her Excellency Mrs. Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh (Republic of Sierra Leone) paid a farewell call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (MP) on Tuesday July 24, 2018.
Hon. Botchwey thanked the envoys for working diligently to enhance the bilateral relations between Ghana and their respective countries and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Republic of Zimbabwe
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey acknowledged the bonds of friendship between Ghana and Zimbabwe and lauded the efforts of Her Excellency Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka during her tenure as both Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to Ghana and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana. She described the Ambassador’s dutiful dedication to her line of work as meritorious and exemplary. The Hon. Minister indicated that she was optimistic that the passion exhibited by Her Excellency Mrs Musaka while in Ghana, would be carried on by her successor.
On her part, the outgoing Ambassador of Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka expressed profound gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and by extension, Ghana for the unwavering support towards ensuring that the functions of the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Accra were carried out smoothly. She indicated that her tenure in Ghana which spans over 12yrs had spurred a renewed bond between Ghana and Zimbabwe. Mrs. Musaka also commended Ghana for her stability and democratic credentials which, according to her, was worth emulating by other African countries and urged Ghana to continue soaring as a beacon of hope for the African Continent.
Concerning the forthcoming general elections of Zimbabwe, scheduled to be held on July 30, 2018, Her Excellency Musaka assured the Hon. Minister of a free and fair elections of her country. She recounted the support Ghana showed Zimbabwe following the recent change of government, stating that it was an indication of a sense of solidarity. Finally, His Excellency Musaka disclosed that although her tour of duty in Ghana had ended, relations between Ghana and Zimbabwe would continue to be strengthened to enhance partnerships and cooperation for mutual benefit.
Republic of Sudan
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey in her remarks recognized the immense contribution of the outgoing Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Babikir Elsidig M. Elamin in facilitating cooperations between Ghana and Sudan which included among others, scholarship programmes to Ghanaians to study in Sudan. She also welcomed a proposal for exchange of expertise in the area of education.
Hon. Botchwey assured the outgoing Ambassador of continued cooperation between Ghana and Sudan on the bilateral and multilateral levels and expressed enthusiasm to visit her counterpart in Khartoum for further bilateral talks. She further acknowledged the growing population of youth in Sudan and indicated that if that data is incorporated into policies, it would inure to the overall wellbeing of Sudan. She also commended Sudan for its active role in the ongoing peace process with its neighbour.
His Excellency Mr. Elamin expressed his appreciation to the Government of Ghana and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for making his tour of duty worthwhile and memorable. He added that the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan was looking forward to hosting the Hon. Minister in Khartoum for discussions on ways to further strengthen bilateral ties between Ghana and Sudan. He also expressed hope in the establishment of a Ghana Embassy in Sudan to enhance cooperation in various fields of development for the mutual benefit of both countries.
The State of Israel
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey thanked the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ghana, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Zeev Mehl for working to further deepen the relations between Ghana and Israel, especially in the areas of agriculture and cyber security. She intimated that Ghana had benefited greatly from her relations with Israel. She further indicated that Ghana will continue to work to strengthen relations with Israel.
His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Zeev Mehl, described Ghana as a democratic, peaceful and safe country. He indicated that during his 3 years tenure as Ambassador in Ghana he has worked to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries. He stated that to promote economic cooperation between the two countries, he had initiated processes which will result in Israel opening an Office of Commercial Attache` in Accra. He also indicated that during his tenure of office, the Ghana-Israel Business Chamber was set up. He added that he developed close relations with the churches in Ghana and the number of Christians who went to Israel for religious purposes had increased.
Ambassador Mehl said among other things that there were also high level visits from the Israeli Army to Ghana to share ideas on defence. He commended Ghana for contributing her troops over the years to ensure global peace and security. He called for further strengthening of cooperation between Ghana and Israel for their mutual benefit.
United States of America
Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey thanked His Excellency Mr. Robert P. Jackson for his service to Ghana and the United States of America. She commended the United States of America for the technical and financial support given to Ghana. She also noted that during the tenure of Ambassador Jackson the latter brought businesses from the United States of America to Ghana and also helped to improve upon the educational system in the country.
His Excellency Mr. Robert P. Jackson said the partnership between the United States of America and Ghana had been further strengthened during his two and half years as Ambassador and a lot had been done in the area of agriculture. He said he values the partnership with Ghana and believes that his successor will continue to work to maintain the relations between the two countries. He thanked Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for supporting him in his work.
Republic of Sierra Leone
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey commended the Republic of Sierra Leone for the recent peaceful elections. She stated that the relations between Ghana and Sierra Leone had been enhanced and called on both countries to work together to further strengthen the relations.
The High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Ghana, Her Excellency Mrs. Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh, said her tenure of office in Ghana had been successful and she had excellent working relations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and other State Institutions. She asked for the same support and cooperation for her successor. She underscored the bonds of friendship between the two countries and called both countries to work together to further deepen the existing relations.
Farewell Luncheon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration held a luncheon in honour of the outgoing Ambassadors and awards were presented to each of them. In attendance were members of the Diplomatic Corps including the incoming Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Cote d’ Ivoire to Ghana, His Excellency Mr. Bernard Ehui- Koutoua and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
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