Foreign Affairs Minister meets the Foreign Minister of Italy in Rome.

Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, made an official visit to Rome from April 10th to April 13th, 2023.

During her visit, she had a bilateral meeting with the Italian Foreign Minister, H.E. Antonio Tajani, to discuss the strong trade relations between Ghana and Italy that date back to pre-independence times when Venetian merchants from Italy used precious beads for trade.

She also elaborated on Ghana’s vision of moving towards self-reliance and industrialization, citing initiatives such as Free Senior High School, One District One Factory, and Planting for Food and Jobs, amongst others.

Hon. Botchwey also spoke on the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area and welcomed Italian companies to invest in areas such as agriculture, trade and investments, cultural exchanges, and security for a mutually beneficial outcome.

She also mentioned the establishment of a Vaccine hub in Ghana to fortify Governments’ capacity to address future pandemics.

H.E. Tajani underscored the importance of augmenting existing bilateral relations in various areas such as agriculture, education, migration, terrorism, security, and energy, and expressed the readiness of the Italian Government to collaborate with Ghana in various joint ventures.

He also proposed the organization of a joint agri-business venture in Ghana and pledged to pursue further dialogue at the upcoming Italy-Africa Conference.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister was accompanied by Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy, Her Excellency Mrs. Merene Botsio Benyah; the Deputy Ambassador, Mrs. Matilda Alomatu Osei-Agyeman; and other officials from the Embassy of Ghana in Rome.

Source: PeaceFmOnline