Ghana and Hungary have agreed to expand their relations across different sectors of their economies to the benefit of citizens of the two countries.
The two nations are looking to expand relations in trade, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, ICT, financial services, water management, and environmental protection.
They reached this agreement when the President of Hungary, János Áder, called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
The Hungarian President is on a four-day visit in Ghana. A guard of honour by the Ghana Armed Forces was mounted in his honour at the forecourt of the Jubilee House before the commencement of series of diplomatic meetings between two officials of the two countries
The purpose of the visit, President Akufo-Addo told the media, was to re-affirm the ties of cooperation and the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
He announced plans by the two countries to establish a joint commission to serve as a platform for accelerating mutually beneficial cooperation between Ghana and Hungary.
A number of key agreements to be signed between the two countries, according to the President, is the continuation of an educational exchange programme between the Ministry of Human Capacities of Hungary and the Ministry of Education of Ghana.
Through the programme, the President said, educational assistance were being offered to several Ghanaian students to study in Hungary in fields such as medicine, engineering, and agriculture.
On the other hand, a number of Hungarian scientists, engineers, and doctors had also completed various missions in Ghana under the agreement, he added.
Also, he said the mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports between Ghana and Hungary was ratified by Ghana’s Parliament in November 2019.
Both nations have agreed to collaborate in sports and waste management and environmental protection and nature conservation.
Considering the impact of climate change and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goal 13, President Akufo-Addo said the agreement on climate change was timely.
They committed to help realise the global commitment of halving greenhouse emissions by 2030.
The President said both sides discussed collaboration in the maintenance of peace and security, especially the challenges in the Sahel region of West Africa, which has witnessed the presence of terrorists and jihadists forces, leading to an upsurge in violence and instability in the area.
He thanked the Hungarian President for the support offered to Ghana’s successful candidature for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the years 2022 and 2023.
“With Africa confronted by multiple threats to the territorial integrity of some of its states and many of its civilian populations being put under serious threats, It shall be the position of Ghana on the security council that now is not the time for the council to reduce its peacekeeping mandates on the continent.
“On the contrary, it should increase them. The global body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security should not be caught in a penny-wise pound-foolish scenario,” he said.
BY YAW KYEI
