Source: newsthemegh.com
The visit of the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, to Ghana, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has strengthened existing strong bilateral, political and economic connections as well as people-to-people encounters between the two nations.
Ghana and Japan exchanged notes during this visit, the first by a Japanese prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi visited Ghana in 2006, when President Akufo-Addo was serving as foreign minister, regarding the improvement of Ghana’s capacity to produce rice seeds as well as the Human Resource Development Scholarship, which supports the education of young administrative officials in Japan.
It has also been reaffirmed that Phase II of the project to enhance the Tema Motorway Roundabout, which connects major highways including the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, is progressing well. This corridor is important for the development of the West African sub-region.
To support Ghana’s efforts through the Accra Initiative and other initiatives to secure peace and security in the Sahel region and the coastline states of the Gulf of Guinea, Japan will also provide USD 500 million in assistance over the next three years.
Speaking after a highly successful bilateral meeting, President Akufo-Addo noted that since Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s arrival on the Gold Coast in 1927 to study Yellow Fever, relations between the two countries have seen numerous successful strategic alliances and collaborations. He added that the Noguchi Memorandum and the street in front of the Japanese Embassy in Accra have also been named in his honor.
Ghana has been a “great admirer” of the Japanese growth model and technological improvement during the course of this time, he added, and I told the Prime Minister that we were using his nation’s wealth of knowledge and expertise to enhance our own development.
In light of this, he continued, “we have discussed at length how to boost further our political and economic relations, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as well as our cooperation at the multi-lateral level.”
On Monday, May 1, 2023, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida landed in Ghana as part of an African journey that began in Egypt and would take him through Kenya and Mozambique.
The two heads of state, whose nations hold non-permanent seats on the Security Council of the United Nations, decided to push for significant reforms that would “reflect the changing circumstances of the world from 1945, when the composition and structure of the Security Council was established by the victorious powers of the Second World War.”
President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed Ghana’s position on the Russian conflict, saying that “being the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to free itself from the chains of colonialism and imperialism, Ghana became one of the five founders of the historic non-aligned movement. We have historically opposed the hegemony of large powers over international affairs. We shall keep holding this view, which is why Ghana voted in favor of the resolution denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the General Assembly vote. With our limited resources, we will express our disapproval of great powers that trample on emerging and small nations and violate international law.
Premier Fumio Kushida described Ghana as a Ghana is a major economic hub of West Africa and an important partner with whom Japan shares fundamental values and principles like democracy and rule of law, adding that “the purpose of this visit to Ghana is to directly listen to the voices of Africa and to reflect such feedback in the discussions to take place at the G7 Hiroshima Summit.”
Japan “has confirmed the importance of business and investment promotion between Ghana, the cornerstone of the West African economy, and Japan,” the speaker claimed. The automobile assembly factories run by Toyota, Nissan, and Suzuki are excellent examples from the modern period. Honda will reportedly open an assembly factory by the end of this year, according to what I understand. Another action, which I hope will strengthen the commercial ties between our two nations.