Hungarian-Ghanaian Joint Economic And Technical Commission inaugural session held

The inaugural session of the Hungarian-Ghanaian Joint Economic and Technical Commission (JETC) was held on the 29th of March, 2023, co-chaired by Mr. Tristan Azbej, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Hungarian side, and Mr. Ramses Joseph Cleland, Ambassador, and Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana on the Ghanaian side.

The “Opening to the South” strategy, first announced by the Government of Hungary in 2015, provided intensive development of bilateral economic relations with African and Middle-Eastern countries by 2023.

As a result, closer cooperation between Hungary and the Republic of Ghana was established, which provided a solid ground for the organization of the inaugural session of the Hungarian-Ghanaian Joint Economic and Technical Commission.

During the session, the sides welcomed the positive development of the trade turnover between the two countries in recent years; in 2022, bilateral trade reached 16.2 million dollars. The sides also intend to sign the currently negotiated Investment Protection Agreement, and the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation, which agreements may further strengthen bilateral trade relations.

State Secretary Tristan Azbej highlighted that Hungary supported the African country with 418.97 million forints in 2020 and 1.09 billion forints in 2021.

Within the framework of Hungary Helps Program, nine projects in Ghana are directly managed by Hungary Helps Agency (HHA), with a total value of 177.7 million forints, primarily in the fields of emergency assistance, education, and healthcare.

The Hungarian Co-Chair also emphasized that in November 2021, Hungary donated 800.000 doses of Astra Zeneca vaccine to Ghana worth 515.8 million forints, while in January 2022 another 400.000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine worth 252.6 million forints were handed over to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the meeting, the sides reviewed priority areas of cooperation included in the Protocol of the session. In the field of water management, the Co-Chairs praised the successes of Pureco Ltd. projects and expressed their intention to enhance further cooperation.

Related to agriculture, the Hungarian side informed its Ghanaian counterpart that the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) is open to cooperation in the field of feeding technology. The Co-Chairs welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary During the meeting, the sides reviewed priority areas of cooperation included in the Protocol of the session.

In the field of water management, the Co-Chairs praised the successes of Pureco Ltd. projects and expressed their intention to enhance further cooperation.

Related to agriculture, the Hungarian side informed its Ghanaian counterpart that the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) is open to cooperation in the field of feeding technology. The Co-Chairs welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Ghana on Cooperation within the Framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme for the Years 2023–2025, which may further strengthen the achievements of the bilateral cooperation in education.

State Secretary Tristan Azbej praised Ghana's exceptionally high quota utilization of the scholarship program. In the academic year 2022/23, 2,691 Ghanaian students applied for the offered 100 scholarships, of which 4 students received an extension, and 75 students a new scholarship.

State Secretary Azbej emphasized that the Students at Risk sub-program provides opportunities for students from Stipendium Hungaricum partner countries who were forced to flee as a result of the conflict in Ukraine to continue their studies at a Hungarian higher education institution.

In the framework of this sub-program, 10 of the 234 Ghanaian students who fled Ukraine applied successfully for, and subsequently received the scholarship. Following the plenary session, the co-chairs signed the Protocol and Rules of Procedure of the Joint Economic and Technical Commission and agreed that the second session of the Hungarian-Ghanaian Joint Economic and Technical Commission will be organized in Accra.