Luanda – Ghana ambassador to Angola, Mavis Esi Kusorgbor, said Sunday in Luanda that she is determined to translate the political will of the leadership of both countries into the implementation of viable initiatives for mutual economic benefits.
Speaking to ANGOP, ahead of Ghana's 66th independence anniversary to be marked on March 06, the ambassador said the government and people of Ghana are determined to contribute to boost global sustainable development through solid policies.
As the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 1957, said the diplomat, Ghana's liberation provided an inspiration to other countries in the quest for self-determination.
The Ghanaian ambassador added that over the years Ghana has continued to work, through bilateral and multilateral engagements for the promotion of pan-African ideals focused primarily on the economic and political well-being of the continent and its people.
The diplomat stressed that although formal diplomatic presence was established at quite different times in the respective countries, Ghana-Angola relations have grown steadily.
The diplomat mentioned as an example the political interactions through high-level official visits, considering this a testimony to the promotion and deepening of economic engagements between the two countries.
She then assured that the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his Angolan counterpart, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, have shown great leadership and commitment to the promotion and deepen the economic commitments between the two countries.
The Ghanaian ambassador said that the launch of direct flights by the Angolan Airlines “TAAG” from Luanda to Accra in November 2022, made it possible to reduce the journey from over 36 hours to three and a half hours and at the same time it helps in doing good business.
In view of this, she assured that Ghana foresees that the direct flight from Luanda to Accra will also serve as a catalyst to bridge the gap between West and Southern Africa and improve sub-regional trade and economic relations in furtherance of the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Angola and Ghana, which share a common history in the struggle for national independence, signed the first cooperation agreements in 1976.
In 2019, the two countries signed a memorandum in the education field, with a view to enabling the mobility of teachers and researchers in higher education institutions and scientific research centres.
In the same year, a memo on the functioning of the Bilateral Cooperation Commission and on the abolition of visas in diplomatic and service passports were signed.
In another agreement, both states defined the lines for strengthening cooperation in the areas of agriculture, defence, fisheries, training and education, transport and the mining industry.