President Akufo-Addo to visit Saudi Arabia

By Iddi Yire, GNA Special Correspondent,
Riyadh. Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration

Riyadh, Jan 26, GNA – Madam Shirley Ayorkor
Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and her Saudi
counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday announced that
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be paying a State visit to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from February 7 – 8.

This came to light when the two ministers
met in Riyadh to discuss bilateral relationship between the two nations.

Madam Botchwey, who is the first Ghanaian
Foreign Minister to officially visit the Kingdom, said the purpose of the
President’s visit was to deepen relationships between the countries.

She recalled that Ghana and Saudi Arabia had
enjoyed cordial bilateral relations which date back to the 1960s and indicated
that since then, the bonds of friendship between the two countries have
witnessed steady growth.

“Saudi Arabia is Ghana’s oldest
bilateral partner in the Gulf Region and that, our relations with Riyadh paved
the way for the expansion of our bilateral relations to the rest of the
countries in the region,” she stated

“Saudi Arabia, therefore, continues to
remain a priority partner for Ghana in the region.”

Madam Botchwey noted that Ghana as a
peaceful and stable country offers a gateway to the entire West African market
and beyond for the investment interests of Saudi Arabian industries.

She therefore, welcomed opportunities to
form mutually beneficial strategic alliances in that regard.

She urged her Saudi counterpart to use his
good offices to encourage Saudi investors to take advantage of the attractive
incentives, within the context of the Ghanaian Government’s agenda to
industrialize the economy, to invest in Ghana.

On his part, Prince Faisal, who lauded the
cordial relationship between the two countries; said the Kingdom was ready to
welcome President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for a State visit.

Prince Faisal said outstanding agreements
between the two countries should be finalised in order to strengthen the
bilateral relations between them.

GNA