Vice-President, US Secretary of State confer
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the US Secretary of State, Mr Antony J. Blinken, have held bilateral talks on deepening ties and strengthening the existing cooperation between Ghana and the US.
The meeting, which took place at the US State Department in Washington, DC, focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, as well as the security situation in the West African subregion.
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Present at the meeting was the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Ms Molly Phee.
The meeting formed part of the Vice-President’s itinerary in the US, after he had attended the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s representative.
Key partner
Mr Blinken commended Ghana for its efforts towards global and regional security, as well as efforts to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He expressed the hope that what Ghana had done in the past would help in finding a solution to the security situation in the Sahel and West Africa.
“It is great to consult Ghana as a key partner on global and regional security and deepening economic ties for post-COVID-19 recovery and growth,” he said.
Dr Bawumia, Mr Blinken and Ms Phee also discussed COVID-19 vaccine supply and stressed the need for it to be a priority.
They also agreed that it was important to develop and enhance manufacturing capabilities, as well as adapt and prepare for future outbreaks.
Other meetings
Last Wednesday, Dr Bawumia met with the Secretary-General of the UN, Mr Antonio Guterres, after the UNSC meeting in New York.
Discussions centred on helping to develop the vaccine manufacturing capabilities for Africa, the pockets of violent conflicts and how Ghana could play a role in bringing about stability in Africa, particularly the West African subregion.
The two men also discussed Ghana’s digitalisation agenda, which Mr Guterres said fitted into the UN’s global digital compact strategy from 2021 to 2023, which was to promote digital inclusion and set milestones for connecting everyone on Earth to the Internet, including all schools.