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President cuts sod for construction of Ghana Embassy in Addis Ababa

President Nana Addo Dankwa AKufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of a new chancery building for the Ghana Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The seven-storey building, when completed, will have offices, conference rooms, VIP suites and offices, guest rooms, among other facilities.

It is expected to be completed in the next two years.

At the sod-cutting ceremony yesterday, President Akufo-Addo, who was joined by the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, said it was sad that Ghana did not have its own chancery building in Ethiopia, considering the close relationship between the two countries over the years. 

He said Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia were very good friends and played key roles in the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU)

According to the President, the construction of the new chancery building would further deepen the close relations between the two countries and expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian President for gracing the event. 

He said the new chancery signified “our won determination to have a strong relationship with Ethiopia and this new vision of Africa”.

He noted that the two countries had important roles to play in making the African Continental Free Trade Area a success, adding that, “already, the world is impressed with what is happening here in Ethiopia and the considerable economic development that is going on”.

“We are making modest efforts in Ghana as well to move our country forward and I think the two of us reaching across the continent and joining hands will make a very big impact on what is going to happen,” he said.

Madam Zewde, on her part said the construction of the chancery building marked the beginning of renewed bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Ghana. 

She expressed her country’s appreciation to Ghana for taking the initiative to start the project which would improve the working environment for the embassy staff and solidify the bilateral relations between the two countries. 

“I believe that the successful completion of this project will definitely boost the political, economic and social relations between Ethiopia and Ghana,” she said. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was optimistic that the chancery building, when completed, would be of a standard that befits the country’s image as a founding member of the OAU, now AU.  

FROM YAW KYEI, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

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