Italy committed to economic cooperation with Ghana – President Mattarella

The visiting Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, has stated that Italy is committed to building on the strong bond of economic cooperation with Ghana.

He expressed delight at the intensified economic growth between Ghana and Italy and said, “we want to ensure that we build a complex form of cooperation in a number of sectors”.

President Mattarella made the statement yesterday after a bilateral meeting between Ghana and Italy at the Jubilee House as part of his three-day state visit to Ghana.

Ceremonies 

Accompanied by his wife, Laura Mattarella, and some government officials, the Italian President inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Navy amidst the playing of the national anthems of the two countries.

President Akufo-Addo and the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, met their Italian counterparts at the foyer of the Jubilee House for the usual pleasantries after which the two presidents went to the ceremonial room for a tete-a-tete, while the two first ladies were escorted to the Presidential Villa for a private meeting.

The two leaders then led their ministers in a bilateral discussion and later addressed the media.

Fundamental partner

Speaking through an interpreter, the Italian President underscored how Ghana represented a fundamental partner to Italy based on mutual respect and equal cooperation to the benefit of the people of both countries.

He added that Italian businesses looked to Ghana with a great deal of interest and called for the establishment of a direct flight between Accra and Rome, which he said, would make it easier and deepen the relationship.

He reiterated the importance of the age-old cooperation between Ghana and Italy, “that I think can allow us to further develop relations for the future.”

Good example 

President Mattarella described Ghana as a good example of democracy when some countries in West Africa seemed to be wavering in their belief in democracy.

“By allowing democratic values, rule of law, political and social pluralism to take root, it offers a very valuable example for the entire region and the continent,” he added.

He said Italy recognised Ghana’s reforms in overcoming its recent economic crisis, especially the efforts to drive its economy towards a sound footing.

Ghanaian community

He said the large number of the Ghanaian community in Italy had, “integrated very well in my country.” “Again, it is appreciated and it contributes to Italy’s economy and represents the bond of friendship between Italy and Ghana,” he noted.

He said it was in the same vein that there were several Italians who had been living in Ghana for quite some time now.

He said some Italian industrialists were supporting the training of some Ghanaian youth at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, who would have the chance to work in Italy.

Sahel

President Mattarella said he discussed the crisis in the Sahel, which was one of the major concerns Italy had, especially military coups which had erased democracy, and said the situation was unacceptable because it weakened the regional cooperation bodies that were critical for the region.

“There is the need to establish full cooperation in the regional body and democracy,” he said, adding that Italy appreciated the role Ghana and ECOWAS were playing to demand the reestablishment of democracy and full cooperation at the regional level.

This, he explained, would be beneficial to the struggle against terrorism and illicit trafficking, and expressed interest in the Accra Initiative, a platform led by Africans.

Navy

He commended the Ghana Navy for welcoming the Italian Navy vessel for the common goal of security and freedom for maritime transport and communication.

Discussion 

President Akufo-Addo announced that the ministerial teams of the two countries held discussion on the expansion of relations in the sectors of trade, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, ICT, financial services, water management, security, and environmental protection.

He added that an agreement was also reached to accelerate the mutual cooperation between Ghana and Italy.

President Akufo-Addo said Ghana supported the reforms of the UN Security Council as set out in Africa’s common position termed the ‘Nzewini Consensus’, “adding that it is important that the matter of UN reforms is restored as a priority item to the global agenda.”

He said he reminded the President of Italy during the discussion of Ghana’s strong attachment to her relations with the European Union (EU), of which Italy was a leading member, because the EU was one of Ghana’s most important trading partners with whom it enjoyed close political and economic ties.

Expertise

He lauded Italy’s expertise in areas such as technology, security, agriculture, and renewable energy, and noted that they presented a valuable opportunity for collaboration with Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo assured the Italians that Ghana was ensuring that its economy was the friendliest in Africa and was working towards that, noting that, “after the difficulties of the last two years, our country as a result of tough-minded policies, has turned the corner in its attempt to restore growth and engender economic stability.”