Accra, April 17, GNA – Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Monday urged Latvian investors to make Ghana their preferred destination in Africa.
She said this at the opening of the Second Ghana-Latvia Business Forum in Accra, being attended Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Latvian Foreign Minister, among other delegates.
Madam Botchwey described the Forum as a step forward in bilateral relations, which signaled the commitment by the two countries to further strengthen their economic ties.
She said the Business Forum was the second to be held since July, 2018, when she paid a working visit to Riga, Latvia with a 15-member government and business delegation.
She recalled that the Business and Investment Promotion Forum, held at the Latvian Foreign Ministry in Riga, provided an opportunity for the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and the Ghana Free Zones Authority, to share the investment opportunities in Ghana and the policies the Government had put in place to ease business activities.
Madam Ayorkor expressed the hope that the Accra Forum would consolidate the discussions held in 2018 in Riga and result in tangible partnerships, joint ventures, and investment opportunities in Ghana.
“In addition, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with its Secretariat in Ghana, offers a single continental market for goods and services, and ease of access to Africa’s vast market of over 1.3 billion people, which you can better benefit from through partnerships with Ghanaian Investors and entrepreneurs,” she stated.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said the diplomatic relations between Ghana and Latvia, which dated back to 1992, had grown steadily, albeit, on the political front.
She said Ghana offered one of Africa’s most conducive environments for business and investment, a dedicated and progressive government-private sector relations, political stability and a robust regulatory environment.
Mr Rinkēvičs, on his part, said Latvia had particular interest in the fields of education, information technology and the chemical industry.
Touching on global development in recent times, he lauded Ghana for the highly principled position it took with the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Dr Michael Oquaye Jr, the Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Free Zones Authority, urged the Latvian delegation to consider investing in Ghana as it had a conducive environment for investment with an educated work force.
Mr Yaw Amoateng Afriyie, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, GIPC, said the Centre was keen to exploring partnership with the Latvian delegation for Ghanaian businesses.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration was signed by Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, Vice Chancellor, University of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Riga Technical University, as well as the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies.
By Iddi Yire
GNA