Ghana to enhance 'traditional foreign' policy objectives - Minister

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has pledged government's commitment to advocate Ghana's traditional foreign policy objectives for positive neutrality so as to maintain friendly relations with other states.

According to the Minister, government will in the light of this give priority to relations with immediate geographical neighbors of the West African Sub-region and member states of the African Union.

She made these remarks during an interactive session with Heads of African Diplomatic Missions in Accra .

She pointed out that, the Foreign Policy of the Nana Akufo-Addo government will be a policy of the principal agents of Ghana's socio-economic resurgence, with clear emphasis on the search for economic opportunities having in mind the desire to open markets for Ghanaian goods, whilst attracting investments into the Ghanaian economy.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchway also enumerated that it was in the pursuit of this goal that the Economic, Trade and Investment Bureau (ECTIB) was established for the coordination of all activities relating to trade and investment between the Ministry and its Missions abroad.

She also added that the Africa’s democracy growth is threatened by the spread of terrorism, and indicated that Ghana is strongly supporting efforts of civilized nations in the fight against terrorism as an instrument of political action and hence, "... commits itself to doing everything within its means to support regional, continental and global efforts to defeat the scourge."

"Ghana is equally committed to the reforms of the global political order, particularly the reform of the United Nations Security Council to reflect the realities of our time. We continue to subscribe to the African common position on UN reforms known as the Ezulwini Consensus," she said.

The minister also indicated that all Heads of Missions nominated by the President Nana Akufo-Addo to the various missions abroad will assume duty without delay and pledged government and the ministry's support to the work of all the heads of missions in Ghana.

On his part, the Sector Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Peter Amewu noted that the government is not against small scale mining but the methods used by some of the miners.

He warned that failure to collectively fight the canker of galamsey or illegal mining now will ensure a bleaker future for the environments of Ghana and its neighbouring countries.