Ghana to re-open Embassy in Rabat - JAK

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said Ghana would soon re-open its embassy, which was closed down in Rabat, Morocco.

He said air-links between the two countries would also be established. President Kufuor said this when he received the credentials of Mr Abdelhamid Tourougui, Ambassador-designate to the re-opened Moroccan Embassy in Accra at the Castle, Osu.

He said it was important that both countries had agreed to re-open their embassies, which were closed down in the late 1970's and renew the cordial relationships that existed between them in the early 1960's.

President Kufuor said the renewal would be critical for the emancipation of Africa in the new era of African Union since both countries belonged to the Casablanca Group that pursued a progressive stance on the question of African Unity in the early 1960's.

He said Ghana would also benefit from the micro-financing experience of Morocco and its garment industry. Mr Tourougui said a new chapter had been opened in the relationship of the two countries and pledged to live to expectation.

He commended President Kufuor for his initiative to put Ghana on the African Continent with his vision and economic policies and programmes worthy of emulation by other African countries.

Re-opening of the embassies between the two countries was part of the decision taken in a communiqu? issued on May 16, this year during a two-day State visit to Morocco by President Kufuor at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

Relations between Ghana and Morocco entered a period of lull from the late 1970's onwards after diplomatic relations were severed over the question of the independence of the Western Sahara.

Subsequently, Morocco quit the OAU in November 1984 in anger when the 20th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the continental body recognised the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as an independent state and admitted it as a member.