Ghana, Norway Reinforce Ties of Co-Operation

By Rex Mainoo Yeboah

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed Ghana's appreciation to the Norwegian government for the considerable support it had offered Ghana through various interventions.

According to President Akufo-Addo, Norway's "Oil for Development Programme", which had been running successfully for more than a decade, has enhanced Ghana's capacity to manage her petroleum resources.

President Akufo-Addo said this on Friday, May 31, 2019, when the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, paid a courtesy call on him at Jubilee House, as part of her 2-day official visit to Ghana.

Erna Solberg's visit to Ghana, the first of a Norwegian Prime Minister visit, is aimed at reinforcing the already strong ties of friendship and co-operation that exist between the two countries.

"We are also grateful for the assistance offered to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and the Ghana Nautical College, amongst others," President Akufo-Addo added.

President Akufo-Addo was particularly delighted with Norway's new partner country initiative, which is aimed at ensuring that partner countries become independent of aid in the long term, adding, this "fits in perfectly with my government's vision of a 'Ghana Beyond Aid'."

The President was encouraged that many more Norwegian companies had shown interest to invest in Ghana, which is affirmed by the presence of oil and gas giant, Aker Energy.

"I wish to assure the more than 50 Norwegian companies operating in our country that my government will continue to try and maintain a conducive investment atmosphere that would not only guarantee the safety of their investments but also good returns on investments as well," he said.

The President was especially pleased with the commitment of Aker to work with Ghana to engineer and inspire the industrial development of the country and help her achieve the structural transformation of the economy.

President Akufo-Addo told Prime Minister Solberg that Ghana and Norway share similar positions on many of the great issues of the day, especially with the mutual attachment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Accord, the strengthening of the multilateral system of international co-operation, and the need to employ peaceful means to resolve disputes.

"I wish to reassure you that the Republic of Ghana will continue to collaborate with the Kingdom of Norway, at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in finding solutions to challenges such as the eradication of widespread poverty, elimination of irregular migration, insecurity and human rights violations, terrorism and violent extremism, human and drug trafficking, piracy, as well as climate change and its attendant impact on the environment and livelihoods.," he added

The President was gratified with the "Fish for Development" initiative signed by the two countries, which was in line with the realisation of SDG 14.

President Akufo-Addo said he was looking forward to its implementation as it would positively impact on the management of Ghana's marine resources for the creation of wealth and jobs, particularly in fishing communities,

He expressed regret with the slowness with which the UN Reform process had traveled, especially of the UN Security Council, which appeared to have been stalled.

"We are fully committed to Africa's Common Position on UN Reform, based on the Ezulwini Consensus, and are anxious that the matter of UN Reform finds its way back quickly onto the global agenda.

"We solicit the support of Norway and the other countries of Europe for this long, overdue reform. It is well past the time to correct the longstanding injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN Security Council represent for the nations of Africa."

Prime Minister Erna Solberg commended the government for the economic gains Ghana had made in recent past. She said it was equally important that the government remained focused on the management of the country's resources for the betterment of its people.

Answering to a question on whether the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) would have been achieved, come end date 2030, Prime Minister Solberg said the SDGs were ambitious to have been completed in 2030, a date set for completion, nevertheless, they were committed to achieving a lot more of the goals to better the lives of the people.

Whilst in Ghana, Prime Minister Erna Solberg is expected to pay a visit to Jamestown, hold an encounter with fisher folks and undertake a tour of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre.

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