H.E. PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA PAYS OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

President John Mahama held meetings with German Federal President Joachim Gauck, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Former Federal President Horst Köhler. He also met the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller, and the Federal Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The meetings discussed a variety of subjects, including regional peace and security, the Ebola epidemic in some West African countries, Ghana’s economy, and trade and economic relations between Ghana and Germany.

The President called for increased cooperation between Ghana and Germany in energy, vocational skills training and agriculture to ensure, among other things, food security and job creation for young people. Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated her support for a regional force to counter the threat of Boko Haram. She and President Mahama agreed to support a resolution with Norway for a review of international response mechanisms to public health crises such as Ebola.

As part of the visit, President Mahama addressed a Ghana Business and Investment Forum where he made a strong case for German businesses to invest in Ghana.

In his capacity as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, President Mahama also met the Ambassadors of ECOWAS Member States accredited to Germany, during which he briefed them on developments in the sub-region, ranging from the Ebola outbreak, through to regional peace and security, the Economic Partnership Agreement, and the upcoming elections in some ECOWAS Member States in 2015.

Finally, President Mahama met the leadership and representatives of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Germany. He explained his government’s policies and programmes on various sectors of national life, the achievements and challenges faced by the government, and the strategies being put in place to enhance his Better Ghana Agenda. About 300 Ghanaian diaspora attended the meeting and had the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarifications and make recommendations on various aspects of national development.

The president was accompanied by a high powered delegation which included Hon. Hanna S. Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Hon. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, Minister for Education; Hon. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Communications; and Hon. Ekow Spio-Gabrah, Minister for Trade and Industry. Others were Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC General Secretary; Amb. Issifu Baba Kamara, Senior Adviser to the President, and Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Director General of the National Development Planning Commission. Also on the delegation were officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and the Ghanaian private sector, led by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).