Ms Shani Cooper, Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra-Leone has reiterated Israel's support for Government's "Ghana beyond aid" agenda and investing in making the local economy resilient.

She said, "apart from government to government, business to business and people to people cooperation," the State of Israel was investing in agriculture, innovation and diaspora affairs to grow the Ghanaian economy.

Ms Cooper said this when she interacted with some journalists in Ho at the Volta Press Center as part of her working visit to the Volta Region.
She said since 2018, about 130 students had been sent to Israel for hands-on agro studies.

The Ambassador said Israel had also opened Trade Economic Mission in Ghana to increase trade volume in Africa.

She said Ghana was chosen to host the Trade Mission due to its growing economy, maturing democracy and potentials.

Ms Cooper said innovation for development programmes were ongoing in Israel, Germany and Ghana aimed at helping Ghana develop policy on innovation, which she said was what differentiated developed countries from developing ones.
She said under that initiative, Israel and Ghana had signed agreements to hook up entrepreneurs and innovators for start-ups.

Ms Shani said another area of cooperation was the establishment of 20 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics centres across the country for children.

The Ambassador said Israel was also sharing her experiences with Ghana on how to use the "power of diaspora" to transform the local economy and said the prospects were good.

She described the media in Ghana as "progressing," and charged journalists to remain professional and be the voice of the voiceless.
"Journalism in Ghana is in good shape though Ghana appears underdeveloped," Ms Shani added.

She presented some books on Israel to journalists after the interactions.
The Volta Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association also gave the Ambassador a 'wooden canvas'.