EU Member States contributed €55 million for vaccine manufacturing in Ghana - Report

The European Union Member States jointly contributed nearly 55 million euros in 2023 to ensure that Ghana becomes a vaccine manufacturing hub in Africa.

It has also commissioned a new solar power plant, supporting Ghana’s energy diversification in Upper West, funded by Germany, and built by Spain.

Irchad Razaaly, Ambassador of the European Union to Ghana, speaking at the 2024 Europe Day Reception in Accra, said these were two examples of “Best of Team Europe” offers.

Europe Day is held on May 9 every year and celebrates peace and unity in Europe.

The date marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’ that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable.

Schuman’s proposal is the beginning of what is now the European Union.

The theme for this year’s Europe Month is “Youth and Skills.”

The Ambassador said the EU believed in Ghana and would not cut corners in their support to youth, to Technical and Vocational Education Training to young entrepreneurs.

He said, “We share an interest in building a sustainable future for the next generations in Ghana, as a partner, this is what sets us apart, the EU believes in your future, and we are here to stay.”

Mr Razaaly said each of the above-mentioned efforts was, of course, the fruit of strong and ever-improving collaboration with our counterparts in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He commended all for the successful cooperation and looked forward to an even stronger partnership in the coming year.

He said that the EU and its MS expressed a clear appetite to reinforce the partnership even further and this became clear over the last year.

He said next month, they would celebrate the opening of a new Member State of Austria embassy, while others were exploring an imminent move.

These developments are not a coincidence but reflect rather the current state of the EU-Ghana relationship.

“Not only do the EU and Ghana share a number of priorities and interests, but we also often see the world in similar ways,” he said.

He said they share a commitment to safeguarding the rule of law and reinforcing democracy both inside our borders and beyond and share an interest in upholding a rules-based multilateral order.

“This translates into Ghana’s continued commitment for Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the face of the Russian war of aggression,” he added.

The Ambassador said security had become a central pillar of our partnership and the EU High Representative had delivered critical military equipment and the advancement of several security programmes conducted by the EU and the Member States.

He said through significant and transformational investments, Global Gateway has moved from plans to reality in Ghana.

Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister, of Trade, and Industry, said the EU Day commemoration reflected the shared values and deep-rooted ties that bound Ghana and the EU.

He said the relations between Ghana and the EU were built on a foundation of mutual respect, cooperation, and a commitment to common goals.

Mr Hammond said since the Lome One Convention, the relationship between Ghana and the EU had flourished evolving into a meaningful partnership that continued to benefit the citizenry.

He said over the years, the EU had been instrumental in supporting Ghana’s development efforts across various sectors from education, health care, infrastructure, and agriculture.