Prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines the Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has called for a closer relationship between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of Ghana.
According to Prime Minister Gonsalves the circumstances of geography and history of the two nations and the development of Ghana’s institutions requires the institutionalism of a mechanism to develop the economic, trading, cultural and political ties and cooperation between the two countries.
Dr. Gonsalves made this call when he visited President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Presidents’ Office during his 5-day official visit to the country.
Prime Minister Gonsalves also requested an exchange of programs in education, which he says will allow students from both countries to study for degree programmes. Prime Minister Gonsalves spoke of the possibility of an African-Brazil-Caribbean relationship which will seek to build the people of all countries involved.
Meanwhile, President of the Republic of Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said that the idea of cooperation is an exciting one and that Ghana would not relent in its efforts to ensure cooperation in the areas of health, education, socio-political and economic development for the benefit of both countries and their people.
President Akufo-Addo spoke of the role Ghana played in advancing the interest of countries in the Caribbean citing his country’s position against the disintegration of the Africa Caribbean Pacific alliance as an example.
According to President Akufo-Addo the African Union (AU), with Ghana’s support, would also continue to maintain that position. He said the steps being taken to formalize an understanding between Africa and its descendants in the Caribbean and Brazil made a lot of sense.
He said the African Union saw the Caribbean and the African Diaspora as a sixth region which provided the basis for developing the cooperation between the two sides.