Two envoys present letters of credence to Prez Mahama
Two new envoys yesterday presented their letters of credence to President John Dramani Mahama at the Flagstaff House.
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They were Mr Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez from Cuba and Mrs Justice Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh from Sierra Leone.
Cuba
Ghana and Cuba have long-standing relations spanning over five decades, and which began in a hotel room in Harlem in the United States.
It was a meeting between Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and the leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, which set the pace for what has grown into long-standing and fruitful relations.
Cuba established its first African diplomatic mission in Accra in December 1963 with a 26-year-old diplomat, Comrade Armando Entralgo, as the first ambassador.
President Mahama said, “Our relations are historic,” adding that the two countries were currently working on many bilateral issues.
He mentioned the medical cooperation with Cuba as one that had contributed positively to Ghana’s strides in the health sector.
The President said currently Ghana had a number of young people undergoing training in Cuba in the medical field, and they were expected to return home after their studies to help develop their country.
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He asked the new envoy to focus on the eradication of malaria in Ghana, as malaria was one of the biggest killer diseases in Ghana.
Economic sanctions
President Mahama expressed delight about the progress made in lifting the economic blockade against Cuba by the United States.
He expressed the hope that a finality would be brought to the issue so that Cuba and the United States would benefit from each other.
Cuban Envoy
Responding, Mr Gonzalez said Cuba would never forget Ghana as the first African country to recognise and have full diplomatic relations with the “new Cuba”.
He stated that the strong ties between the two countries contributed significantly over the years in accelerating the pace of the liberation struggle in Africa.
Sierra Leone
Welcoming the new Sierra Leonean High Commissioner who is a retired Chief Justice of that country, President Mahama said the two West African nations had strong ties.
He mentioned the Ebola Viral Disease that took a toll on Sierra Leone and asked the people of that country to put the past behind them and look at how to rebuild their country.
He gave an assurance that Ghana would do whatever it could to support Sierra Leone get back to the path of progress.
High Commissioner
Justice Tejan-Jalloh stated that Ghana had always been supportive of Sierra Leone in a number of areas and expressed the appreciation of her government for the gesture.
She was of the conviction that the living conditions of the peoples of the sub-region could be enhanced through closer cooperation and integration of the West African nations.