GHANA’S MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION, MS. HANNA SERWAAH TETTEH, PAYS OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, 16TH TO 18TH OCTOBER, 2014

During the visit, Hon. Hanna Tetteh held separate meetings with the German Federal Foreign Minister, Dr. Franz-Walter Steinmeier; and the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Mr. Thomas Silberhorn. Top among the agenda at the two meetings were Ghana’s economy and bilateral cooperation between Germany and Ghana, the Ebola outbreak in parts of West Africa, upcoming elections in some ECOWAS Member States in 2015, and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between ECOWAS and the European Union. The Hon. Minister also met two members of the German Bundestag; Mr. Volkmar Klein, and Mr. Johannes Selle, both of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to discuss issues related to bilateral and multilateral concerns.

As the current Chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Hon. Hanna Tetteh met Ambassadors from the ECOWAS region accredited to Germany. In all, ten Ambassadors, from Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Togo, Benin, Sierra Leone, and Niger, attended the meeting, with the rest expressing regret due to prior commitments or the absence of substantive Heads of Mission.

Hon. Tetteh briefed the Ambassadors on developments in the region, particularly the Ebola outbreak in parts of West Africa. She informed them about the strategies that were being put in place to address the epidemic and expressed the hope that together they will succeed in curbing it. The Ambassadors shared their perspectives on the outbreak of the disease and resolved to continue to work together to contribute towards its eradication in the region. The meeting also discussed the Economic Partnership Agreement and the benefits it will accrue to the region when it is signed and implemented.

The Hon. Minister later had a private interaction with African female Ambassadors accredited to Germany, where they exchanged experiences and discussed how to empower themselves for excellence.

The Hon. Minister was accompanied to the meetings by Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Akua Sena Dansua; Head of the Consular Section, Mr. Samuel Adotey Anum; First Secretary/Political and Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Michael Nyaaba Assibi; and Mr. Kwabena Akuffo-Akoto, FSO A4 of the Europe Bureau from Headquarters.