Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, he said the assurance by the Thai military authorities to hand over power to a civilian Prime Minister soon, made things brighter for Ghana to pursue all agreements Vice President Aliu Mahama clinched with the overthrown civilian regime during his week's official visit to that country.
The Deputy Minister who accompanied the Vice President said the newly formed Council for Democratic Reform had promised to uphold all the principles of the United Nations and other international organizations and would preserve the rights and all obligations under international treaties and agreements.
"The Council has also promised to maintain and promote cordial relations with foreign countries.
"All that Ghana can do now is to wait and see," he said. Mr Osei-Adjei said the change of government could not affect the number of interactions Vice President Alhaji Mahama had with Thailand's entrepreneurs who expressed interest to invest in Ghana. These include a meeting with members of the Ghana-Thailand Trade Centre, TIPCO, a leading food processing company in South East Asia, which recorded a turnover of 330 million dollars in 2005 and Management of One Tambon One Product, a state owned enterprise, with which Ghana struck a deal to import sheabutter, cocoa and other agro products to improve their production line.
Thailand is the world largest exporter of pineapple products, which represent between 40 to 45 per cent of the global market and TIPCO is one of the biggest canned pineapple producers in Thailand. Mr Osei-Adjei said Ghana also struck a deal with Greater Pharma, a multi-national drug company for the large-scale production of anti-malaria and anti-retroviral drugs to boost the fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS.
He said what was on the drawing board was the technical cooperation Vice President Alhaji Mahama struck with the deposed Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Surakiart Sathirathai in Bangkok.
Ghana and Thailand also agreed to establish a Joint Trade Commission in October this year to boost the flow of business. Ghana also stands to benefit from a scholarship package from the Asian nation in all academic disciplines.
This was the outcome of a closed-door meeting between Vice President Alhaji Mahama and the overthrown Prime Minister, Dr Thaksin Shinawatra at Thailand's Government House. Mr Osei-Adjei said there was also agreement for joint cooperation in the development of aquaculture as well as cultural exchange programmes.
Dr Thaksin, he said, agreed to a request to facilitate the rehabilitation of a number of roads including the Accra-Kumasi Highway. Coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin earned the blessing of the revered King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, when he staged his bloodless coup on September 19, 2006 to reverse what he alleged as massive corruption and abuse of power by Dr Thaksin's regime.
The King, who approved of Dr Thaksin ouster, asked the coup plotters to present the draft of a new national constitution, name a new prime minister this weekend as they pressed ahead with plans to revamp the nation a week after seizing power.
Naming a new prime minister within a fortnight was one of the key pledges Sonthi and his generals made to the Thai people after their lightning coup, which came while Thaksin was out of the country. After revoking the constitution, dismissing the government, imposing martial law and placing restrictions on the media and political parties after the coup, Sonthi announced the military-appointed premier would serve for only one year.
During that time, a new constitution would be written and elections set for around October 2007, part of sweeping plans to overhaul the nation's political life and end months of turmoil under Thaksin's leadership. 28 Sept.06
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