By Maxwell Okamafo Asamani Addo
Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has advocated for more economic co-operation between Ghana and Spain, adding that there are more opportunities the two countries could explore for the benefit of their citizenry.
He said, although the partnership between the two countries has yielded positive benefits in the area of trade, export financial cooperation over 47 years, “we have to move our co-operation and friendship to a higher level”.?
The Veep, made the call when the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Maria Alonso, called on him at the Flagstaff House in Accra, to officially introduce himself as the new Spanish ambassador and also to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest.
Mr. Amissah Arthur noted Ghana needs countries like Spain to form viable partnerships to pursue initiatives for economic stability and growth and also learn a lot of lesson from the Spanish experience, how the Prime minister has been able to turn their economy around.
He said Spain has made a lot of impact in football, so the new ambassador should use her good office to try and arrange a math between Ghanaian teams and Barcelona or Real Madrid in Ghana, remaking that something that if she’s able to do would make her a very popular and hardworking ambassador to Ghana, since Ghana is a football nation.
According to him, because Ghana and Spain share a lot in common, so it is necessary for the two sides to intensify their partnership for socio-economic development and also wished them well in their upcoming election s in December 2015
On her part the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Maria Alonso said her visit on behalf of the people of Spain to thank Ghana for the support it gave to Spain to secure a place at the United Nation Security Council, which they have become members since first January this year.
She said about 60 percent of the discussions at the Security Council was on the African continent, so would use the opportunity to advocate for issues bothering on Ghana and Africa,
She promised to continue to deepen the relations and level of cooperation that had existed for more than over 46 years to another level and discuss ways in which Ghana and Spain could enhance their existing partnerships for mutual benefit.
She also commended the government of Ghana for collaborating effectively with the Spanish Government in a lot of areas and expressed the hope that her visit would continue to foster the relations between the two countries.
Ms. Alonso said that very soon there would be a lot of agreement between Ghana and Spain in order to help in a lot of areas and therefore, expressed the hope that the two countries would continue with the bilateral relations.