Ghana’s High Commission in Malta has marked the 10th anniversary of its relocation of the mission to Malta, with a call to deepen relations between the two nations.
The mission marked the anniversary with a choral musical concert at The Phoenicia in Floriana, featuring the Winneba Youth Choir. The anniversary was capped with a thanksgiving service at the Church of Pentecost, Malta branch in Birkirkara.
President Myriam Spiteri Debono was guest of honour of the programme, which was well-attended by high-profile Ghanaian delegates led by ambassador-at-large and secretary to the president, Nana Bediatuo Asante, who represented President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; the majority leader in parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Mark Okraku Mantey; chief executive officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Michael Aaron Oquaye Jr; as well as Barbara Akuokor Benisa, High Commissioner of Ghana to Malta, and officials of the mission who hosted about 250 guests.
Emceed by sports journalist and entertainment enthusiast Nathaniel Attoh, the youth choir entertained the audience with many local choral songs and universal hymns.
Patrons were also treated to a variety of Ghanaian finger foods and drinks, such as fried yam, kelewele, chinchinga and sobolo, under the theme, ‘Taste Ghana’. The delegation and the Ghanaian community showcased the rich Ghanaian culture through their apparels.
Also in attendance were Maltese ministers, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, the Maltese business community, as well as a section of the Ghanaian diaspora community.
Ghana relocated its mission in Libya − which was responsible for that country and other Mediterranean countries − in August 2014, making it the only fully fledged Sub-Saharan diplomatic mission in Valletta, Malta.
Strong bonds
Addressing the gathering, President Spiteri Debono congratulated the mission on its 10th anniversary in Malta. She highlighted the strong bonds of friendship between Ghana and Malta since the 1970s when the two countries established diplomatic relations. She said the relations had been further consolidated with the exchange of high-level visits by both countries. The president also underscored the socio-economic cooperation between Ghana and Malta and expressed the hope that the relations would be broadened to cover more areas of cooperation between both countries.
Barbara Akuokor Benisa, High Commissioner of Ghana to Malta.High-level visits
Speaking on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, Ambassador Bediatuo Asante thanked the government and people of Malta for supporting the activities of the mission since its relocation to Malta 10 years ago. He recalled the visit of President Akufo-Addo to Malta in 2019, the recent visit by former President George Vella and his wife to Ghana last March, and other similar high-level visits which have characterised relations between Ghana and Malta.
Asante affirmed that Malta and Ghana enjoyed an excellent tradition of cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels and which had culminated in the support for each other’s candidature for positions at international fora.
The relocation of the mission to Malta “has yielded political, economic and cultural benefits and contributed to the development of our economies”, Asante added.
The secretary to the Ghanaian president also expressed the hope that both countries would enjoy a stronger and closer relations in the years ahead.
In a pre-recorded message, former president Vella, who as foreign affairs minister had mooted the idea of Ghana relocating its mission to Malta − at a time when many countries were closing diplomatic missions in Libya due to the crisis there − congratulated the High Commission for playing a pivotal role in enhancing relations between both countries.
He articulated Ghana’s credentials as a beacon of democracy and peace and commended it for the important role it played in promoting global peace and security, particularly in West Africa and Africa as a whole.
There were pre-recorded goodwill messages from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and her Maltese counterpart, Ian Borg.
Botchwey commended the High Commissioner, and the staff of the mission for the dedication and commitment to strengthening relations between Ghana and Malta.
Markin, Mantey and Oquaye Jr took turns to convey the commitment of the government of Ghana to enhance relations with Malta in the tourism, trade and industry sectors and noted that potential investors would benefit from a wide range of incentives.
In her welcome address, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malta thanked the President Spiteri Debono for the support extended to the mission since its relocation from Libya to Malta in August 2014.
Over the past 10 years, both sides had taken deliberate steps to deepen the relationship Benisa said, while adding “this shared commitment between Ghana and Malta has culminated in the establishment of cooperation in some of the key sectors, including education, health, fisheries, trade and commerce, aquaculture, gaming and sports development”.
The High Commissioner expressed the hope that relations between Ghana and Malta would be strengthened further in the coming years.