Ghana and Japan pledge to deepen relations at all levels of co-operation
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan have pledged to deepen relations at all levels of co-operation between the two countries.
The leaders made this commitment when they addressed members of the press in the foyer of Jubilee House in Accra after leading their respective delegations in bilateral talks to mark Prime Minister Kishida’s two-day state visit to Ghana.
As part of the agreement to deepen relations, Ghana and Japan exchanged notes by signing two memorandums of understanding (MoUs). The first was a “project for the enhancement of rice seed production capacity and the second a “project for human resource development scholarship”.
“We wish to reassure Prime Minister Kishida that Ghana will continue to collaborate with Japan to find solutions to challenges such as the eradication of widespread poverty, elimination of irregular migration, insecurity and human rights violation, terrorism and violent extremism, human and drug trafficking, piracy, as well as climate change and its attendant negative impact on the environment and livelihoods,” said President Akufo-Addo.
“This evening’s meeting has further boosted the steadfast co-operation between our two countries and Ghana will continue to associate with Japan at all levels, particularly towards the peaceful resolution of conflicts and in the search for global peace and security to promote sustainable development around the globe,” Akufo-Addo said.
Reaffirmed commitment
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaking through an interpreter, said that Japan considers Ghana to be a very important and strategic partner in the West African region and that the Government of Japan is committed to ensuring that it deepens its already strong relations with Ghana.
He noted that infrastructure development is one area where Japan will endeavour to continue to support Ghana to complete ongoing projects and initiate new ones.
“We reaffirmed the importance of further promotion of co-operation. Infrastructure is the foundation of development.
“We will, therefore, co-operate with Ghana to secure the steady implementation of phase two of the project for the improvement of the Tema Motorway Roundabout that serves as the junction of major highways, including the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, which is critical for the development of the West African economic region,” Prime Minister Kishida said.
Peace and security
The Japanese leader stressed that “without peace and security, there can be no economic growth”. He therefore welcomed “Ghana’s efforts, through the Accra Initiative and other endeavours, to secure peace and stability” in West Africa, especially in the coastal states.
In this regard, the Japanese prime minister announced that a grant of US$500 million will be made available to support efforts aimed at securing the entire Gulf of Guinea geopolitical area.
“Under the objective of contributing to the peace and stability of the Sahel region and the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea and promoting sustainable growth, Japan will prove $500 million of support over the next three years,” Kishida said.
About the ongoing situation in Sudan, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his deep concern and conveyed to President Akufo-Addo that Japan will use its presidency of the G7 and membership of the UN Security Council to make proactive contributions by taking measures such as sending their ambassador for the Horn of Africa to stakeholder countries to seek a political solution to the ongoing war.
He added that Japan will also lead efforts to provide humanitarian assistance together with its international partners in response to the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan and neighbouring countries.
