He said the cooperation and partnership between the EU and Ghana dates back to 65 years ago and has progressed over the years.
“We have been in Ghana since the very beginning. When you think of the Kpong Dam, we have been there for the building. Kpong refurbishment, we are here and we are continuing to do that” Ambassador Razaaly added.
In 2019, funds from the EIB (€12.5 million) and the French Development Agency (€50 million) helped to restore and upgrade the Kpong Dam facilities – which now provide about 12% of the country’s electricity production.
Ambassador Razaaly said the EU has supported Ghana in its socio-economic development and in sectors such as Education, Agriculture and Health.
“…the EU has supported Ghana with 170 million for the socio-economic consequences of COVID and also to help support the health system in order to be able to weather the consequences of COVID” Ambassador Razaaly said.
He indicated that apart from the 170 million euros given to Ghana to help combat COVID-19, the EU is also helping government to build a vaccine facility in Ghana.
Ghana was the first country globally, to receive COVID vaccines from the EU through the COVAC funded scheme.
In the area of Agriculture, Ambassador Razaaly noted that the EU is helping to create jobs especially for women. The EU provided training for operational staff of the Mole National Park in the West Gonja District of the Savannah Region.
- The EU is currently supporting the agriculture sector, with €132M EU- Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP) in the Upper West, Savannah and North East Regions. EU-GAP aims to increase agricultural productivity, protect natural resources, and improve access to markets, infrastructure and capital for smallholder farmers;
- Support to job creation, such as the €20.6M GrEEn project, which invests in young Ghanaian entrepreneurs in the green and circular economy sectors;
- Commitment to improving EU-Ghana trade relations through the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement;
- Ongoing engagement in the field of security, including projects in the North (such as NORPREVSEC) and in the maritime security sector.
The European Union (EU) in Ghana is celebrating Europe week from 2-9 May 2022, under the theme “65 years of EU-Ghana partnership”.
This year is the 65th anniversary of the creation of both the European Union – with the signing of the Treaty of Rome – and of an independent Ghana.
The Week was used to highlight the cooperation and partnership between the EU and Ghana throughout the years and across different sectors.
This includes a partnership for sustainable growth and job creation, the promotion of shared democratic values, and jointly working towards a greener future – but also investing in youth and cross-cultural exchanges.
The week-long event was climaxed on May 9 with the celebration of Europe Day – the date marking the anniversary of Robert Schuman’s Declaration to form a European economic union in 1950.