The European Union (EU) Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, Jyrki Katainen, is set to arrive in Ghana on June 13, 2019, for a two-day official visit to Ghana and Togo.
A statement issued by the Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Mrs. Diana Acconcia, in Accra on Monday said, the visit to the two countries was meant to emphasise Europe’s strong commitment and partnership in the region, in the context of the Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investment and jobs.
While in Ghana, Mr. Katainen will participate in the first Ghana-EU Business Forum, on June 14 in Accra and deliver the closing remarks alongside Vice-President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with Ghana’s Vice President and the Economic Management team.
Mr. Katainen will deliver a lecture on the EU-Africa Alliance at the Kofi Annan Information and Communication Technology Training Centre and hold meetings with civil society and the private sector as well as grant interviews to the media.
He will also pay a visit to the Tema Port’s new terminal, which is providing strategic enhanced capacity for international and regional trade.
In Togo, Mr. Katainen will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first Togo-EU Economic Forum on June 13, together with the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, which will also be the venue for the launch of the European Chamber of Commerce in Togo.
Mrs. Acconcia said as part of the G20 Compact with Africa launched in 2017, both countries’ commitments to economic and social transformation and reform was impressive.
As such, both countries offered strong potential for Alliance implementation and its flagship, the EU’s External Investment Plan.
The Africa-Europe Alliance represents a coherent economic strategy of engagement aimed at job creation with the support of sustainable private sector investment, covering de-risking, investment climate, trade/economic integration, including the Economic Partnership Agreements, and education/vocational training.
Mr. Jyrki Katainen was born in Finland and holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences (1998), Honorary Degree of Law (2014) and Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy (2014).
His career began in 1988, when he became the Vice-President of the Youth of the European People’s Party, moving on to become a Member of the Finnish Parliament from 1999 to 2014.
He served as First Vice-President of the Regional Council of Northern Savonia, Finland and Vice-President of the Finnish National Coalition Party between 2001 and 2004.
He became the President of the Finnish National Coalition Party from 2004 to 2014, Vice-President of the European People’s Party, 2006 to 2012, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Finland, 2007 to 2011 and Prime Minister of Finland, 2011 to 2014.
Mr. Katainen is currently the EU Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, a position he has held from 2014 until present.
