Ghana pledges to deepen relations with Iran

President Mahama made the pledge in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, at the 34th anniversary celebrations of the victory of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Accra on Friday.

In attendance were some Muslim chiefs, members of the Iranian community, some ministers of state and members of the diplomatic corps.

He recalled that Ghana and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) within the framework in which Iran made available to Ghana a grant for the upgrading of the Iran Clinic in Accra to a polyclinic status.

The grant was also for the construction of a cultural community centre at Kumbungu and the Iran Hybrid Rice Plantation in Tamale, both in the Northern Region.

President Mahama said the driving force behind the Ghana-Iran bilateral relation was a permanent joint commission on co-operation.

He said the fourth session of the joint commission produced the signing of four  agreements relating to the construction of technical and vocational schools, implementation of the automation of digitalisation of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) radio and television archives and the lifting of visas on diplomatic and service passport holders.

President Mahama commended the Iranian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr  Mohammed Soleymani, for his efforts at enhancing the trade and economic cooperation between Ghana and Iran.

He was optimistic that the Iranian business community would take advantage of the prevailing congenial investment and political climate in Ghana to invest in government’s priority areas such as oil and gas expansion and modernisation of air and seaports, infrastructural projects, water resources and the expansion and mobilisation of electrical transmission systems.

In his address, the Iranian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Soleymani, said one of the main challenges of the Republic of Iran was the phenomenon of terrorism.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is considered one of the main victims of terrorism given the fact that since its establishment, it has been targeted by numerous internal and external terrorist acts," he explained.

He, therefore, called for the elimination of crime in all forms by tackling its root causes.

Additionally, due to the location of Iran, the country had incurred heavy financial costs and human losses in combating and eliminating drug gangs, as well as distribution, while it had not received sufficient and required international assistance.

On nuclear, Mr Soleymani said the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes was the indisputable right of all nations, adding that energy should not be monopolised by countries who wished to impose their hegemony on others.

Mr Soleymani lauded Ghana's effort at conducting peaceful elections, saying that " this shows that the Ghanaian nation is aware of its destiny and interests".

Story by Zainabu Issah