The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has asked the new British High Commissioner in Accra, Mr Jon Benjamin, to continue to promote Ghana-UK relations as championed by his predecessors.
He said Ghana and Britain shared a long political and cultural history, dating as far back as the pre-independence era, for which reason the two countries had enjoyed closer bilateral relations over the years.
Mr Amissah-Arthur made the call when he received the new British Envoy at the Flagstaff House in Accra yesterday.
The purpose of Mr Benjamin’s visit was to officially introduce himself to the Vice-President as he begins a four-year duty tour of Ghana.
It was also to reaffirm the commitment of Britain to further strengthen diplomatic ties with Ghana.
Mr Amissah-Arthur appealed to the High Commissioner to take Ghana’s bilateral and economic ties with Britain a notch higher, since he had a responsibility to work for the mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
He said the Ghana Government was very much interested in exploiting trade and investment opportunities in Britain which, in the final analysis, would inure to the benefit of the people.
He used the occasion to wish Mr Benjamin well during his tenure.
UK support
Mr Benjamin later told journalists that he was interested in promoting UK investment in Ghana, given the fact that there were about 700,000 British citizens of Ghanaian origin.
He stated that he would help increase commercial relations with Ghana and made reference to the parliamentary approval of the Atuabo gas project last Wednesday, which he described as a positive development for Ghana.
Mr Benjamin said UK trainers were currently teaching at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and reiterated the British Government’s admiration for Ghana’s role in peacekeeping operations in other parts of the world.
Other visits
Last Wednesday, the envoy paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, to familiarise himself with the activities of the assembly and also strengthen collaboration between the High Commission and the AMA.
He had earlier paid a similar visit to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, during which he interacted with the sector Minister, Nana Oye Lithur.
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