Accra: President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday received Letters of Credence from five new ambassadors accredited to Ghana at the Presidency in Accra. These official diplomatic documents are presented to the President by Heads of Mission-designate, nominated by their respective governments to serve as ambassadors to Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the five new envoys who presented their Letters of Credence and Letters of Recall of their respective predecessors to President Mahama include Mr. Bul Quoc Hung, the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Ghana, Mr. Athanasios B. Kotsionis, Greece Ambassador to Ghana, and Mr. Lincoln G. Downer, High Commissioner of Jamaica to Ghana. The rest are Mr. Antit Mohsen, Ambassador of Tunisia to Ghana, and Mr. Edouard Nduwimana, Ambassador of Burundi to Ghana. President Mahama warmly welcomed each envoy to Ghana and urged them to promote bonds of friendship and cooperation between Ghana and their respective countries.
In welcoming the Vietnamese Envoy, President Mahama expressed appreciation for the warm relations between Ghana and Vietnam. He noted Ghana’s interest in Vietnam’s economic development progress and expressed optimism about cooperation, especially as Ghana implements a 24-Hour Economy Policy and a reset agenda for governance and economy. Mr. Bul emphasized the importance of deepening Vietnam-Ghana relations and looked forward to support from the President and the people of Ghana.
President Mahama also welcomed Mr. Athanasios Kotsionis, Greece’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ghana. He acknowledged the longstanding relations between Ghana and Greece, though economic relations remain low, with $31 million in imports from Greece and $17 million in exports to Greece. He highlighted the cultural relations promoted by the Tsakos Foundation and the Greek School in Tema. Mr. Kotsionis expressed his commitment to deepening cooperation between the nations during his tenure.
Welcoming Mr. Lincoln G. Downer, High Commissioner of Jamaica to Ghana, President Mahama lamented the absence of missions in each other’s capitals despite historic ties. He urged both countries to strengthen economic relations and revive the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation. He invited Jamaican businesspeople to explore opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area. Mr. Downer shared Jamaican Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness’s interest in strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations, highlighting Jamaica’s logistics hub, business opportunities, and stock exchange performance.
President Mahama informed the new African envoys, Mr. Antit Mohsen of Tunisia and Mr. Edouard Nduwimana of Burundi, of Ghana’s interest in the African Union Chairmanship when it becomes vacant, seeking their support. He noted that the next AU Chair is expected to be from the West African subregion, with Ghana currently serving as the Second Vice-Chair.