Ghana is special, 'not just another African country' - Portuguese president

Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has praised Ghana for building a good democratic culture.

He lauded Ghanaians for standing out among the comity of African nations in the pursuit of the rule of law, political stability and peaceful coexistence.

“Ghana is not just another country in Africa. You are very special,” President Rebelo de Sousa noted.

He was addressing a joint press conference with Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in Lisbon, Portugal.

President Nana Akufo-Addo is on a three-day State visit aimed at consolidating the long-standing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The agenda is to boost further the political, cultural and socio-economic exchanges amongst the people.

The West African nation is seeking to bolster cooperation at the multilateral level, promote a better world, and address global issues relating to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Portugal arguably is the European nation with the longest-existing ties with Ghana, dating back to the 15th Century.

President Rebelo de Sousa said his country was committed to doing business with Ghana as the two countries shared development experiences and also addressed common global issues.

“With these, it is very easy to have good bilateral relations between the two countries,” he stated.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said the country was grateful to the Portuguese Government for its commitment to give cause to Ghana’s voice and interests within the European Union.

He was hopeful the State visit would provide an enhanced platform for economic engagement – to increase trade volumes and bring development to the people.

His administration, he said, looked forward to deepening cooperation with the Portuguese Government as Ghana sought support to reduce poverty to the barest minimum.

The country will also work effectively with its European counterparts to ensure the elimination of irregular migration, insecurity and human rights violations.