Japanese Ambassador ends duty tour
The Japanese Government has expressed its resolve to deepen diplomatic ties with Ghana and pledged its commitment to offer continued economic support to the country.
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“Our relationship with Ghana is unwavering and Japan will forever relish its friendship with Ghana in particular and Africa at large,” the outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Naoto Nikai, said when he conferred with the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, at the Flagstaff House yesterday.
The ambassador was there to bid farewell to the government after serving for two years in the country.
Mr Nikai said he was leaving the country with memories of Ghana’s good democratic credentials which had earned it international recognition.
Vice-President’s response
Responding, Mr Amissah-Arthur traced Ghana-Japan relations to the pre-independence era and noted that Japan had always been a committed partner to Ghana.
He expressed optimism that Mr Nikai’s successor would build on what has already been achieved and he wished him well.
Ghana-Japan relations
The Government of Japan regards Ghana as one of the most important countries in terms of Japan's aid policy for Africa.
Ghana has been the biggest recipient of Japanese aid with regard to economic co-operation in Sub-Sahara-Africa since 1997 and Japan has been the leading donor to the country since 1988.
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The Japanese Government in 2013 provided a grant for Human Resources Development Scholarship with 120 Million Japanese Yen [US$1.2 million] to the Government of Ghana.
The grant was to enable some young public officials to undertake three years’ Masters degree programmes in public health or economics at Japanese Universities.
The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in April this year, also approved and signed a grant requested by the Government of Ghana to provide farmers with agricultural machinery and materials.
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