Press conference by German Chancellor Merkel and President Mahama

Press conference by German Chancellor Merkel and President of the Republic of Ghana, Mahama.(Berlin - Germany)

Ghana President Mahama and German Chancellor Merkel

ANGELA MERKEL: Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted that today Ghanaian President Mahama is our guest. This is his first visit to Berlin and his first official visit as president. We welcome him warmly. We have already often seen us in the past two years, where he has been in office, especially at the EU-Africa summit, but here I welcome him today, of course, particularly.

We appreciate the partnership with Ghana as a friendly. Ghana is a stable democracy and an important partner in West Africa. There is a close developmental cooperation, and we also maintain a close economic cooperation, but both can also be strengthened. Of course we have exchanged views on this kind of cooperation.

Ghana for the subject of the electrification and the electricity supply is particularly important. It goes from the German side, above all, to cooperation in the field of renewable energy. The President has further emphasis on it, to tell you how important is the training. The more we can contribute to this in Germany just for the young people, the better it is. In Ghana, it is a topic that university degrees are highly valued, but the meaning of vocational training is often not realised that. I told the President that there are quite similar trends in Germany.

The president will address the Business Forum of the African Association, and I am very sure that we just reinforce the cooperation between our companies still. To the development of cooperation namely heard for a medium sized developed country as Ghana, now also increasingly economic cooperation, cooperation with our business enterprises. I pointed out that we are naturally interested in particular in having a secure environment for our companies from Germany and also minimize bureaucracy.

The President developed his country so well in that direction.

Of course we talked about the importance Ghana has in the region. Ghana has held the chairmanship of ECOWAS at the moment. We all know of Nigeria, of the terrorist threats posed by Boko Haram and the three countries that have been hit by Ebola. The challenges in the region are very large. I believe that it is also important that especially Ghana is one of the leading countries in the peacemaking missions of the African Union, and it deserves Ghana also a big thanks.

It is good that the negotiations between the European Union and ECOWAS have progressed significantly in terms of economic cooperation. However, now is still important that all countries sign. This is not to Ghana, but we have to see that this agreement also really can enter into force.

We have a total of speaking in addition to the questions that I had already called on the challenges of Mali over Chad and Niger to Cameroon and Nigeria. Therefore, I can only say: This is a challenging area. So it's great that Ghana has an economic growth rate of 5 percent and that Ghana developed stable. Germany would like Ghana, as far as possible, be happy as a partner, and so once again a very warm welcome here in Berlin!

P Mahama: Thank you, Madam Chancellor. I also want to thank you that you have invited me to an official visit to Germany.

Our relations are sound. They have a long tradition. Germany has been a very important bilateral partners in the course of the development of my country. Since 1961, the total contribution of Germany has done bilaterally, was almost 1.3 billion euros in size, and that is a huge contribution that has flowed into the critical elements in the development of my country. The relations between Ghana and Germany are very close. We value and respect the same values, namely human rights and the rule of law. Ghana also want to be an example for other countries in Africa herewith.

We work bilaterally very closely in the field of energy and renewable energy.

Germany funded a number of projects in the renewable energy sector in Ghana. We strive to enhance the energy supply in the field of solar energy. KfW has provided us this funding so that we can then also the overall power supply, so the power grid, enhance, and expand.

GIZ is in almost all areas in my country active in small and even in large development projects as well as in the area of ??decentralization of Ghana, with the participation of the private sector in the activities in my country. All this contributes to achieving economic growth, we would like to see.

Today we talked about a number of other areas where our cooperation can expand. These are some of the things that will certainly come to the table when we will meet bilaterally next time.We would be grateful for greater support in the field of vocational training. Here we could learn from the German example. We are a "lower middle income country" and want to move forward on the path to a "middle income country". We need more investment in vocational promotion, technical professions and vocational training. This could make Germany its experience to help ensure that we can provide the corresponding jobs.

We have a strong, active German cultural institute in Ghana.

We also work closely together in the field of sport. Every time Germany and Ghana

are met at the Football World Cup, which is a very outstanding game; it is still talking for a while. We would like to see more games between the Black Stars and the German national team.

We have also raised a number of international issues. I want to thank Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German people that have supported us in the fight against Ebola disease. Three countries in West Africa most affected - you should know - and Germany has played a very important role in the response to this crisis and to combat the spread of the disease. The significant international response has made a significant contribution; otherwise there would have been catastrophic evolution due to the spread of the Ebola virus. We received encouraging signals. We believe that we will be able to get the situation under control faster than we originally thought. Ghana holds currently the chair of ECOWAS. A few days ago we had a summit on Ebola question. This took place in Ghana in Accra.

We have also had the opportunity to make it clear that we want to be active in the field of security, especially with regard to the fight against Boko Haram. We intend to call on the African Union to develop a strategy and in particular create a regional task force to fight Boko Haram. I am delighted that Chad has made it clear that it has moved troops to Cameroon to help Cameroon. But I think we should adopt a structural approach, proceed structured and call a regional task force into life, then the Manpower, one needs to address this security problem in northern Nigeria. We all know that the problem of terrorism is a problem that the world turns.This can no longer be ignored; because it grows like a cancer and then extends to other parts of the world.

One final word: We also talked about the international crisis management. The Chancellor, Ms Merkel, Ghana prompted with Germany and Norway to prepare a letter, in which prompted that an international crisis management response is being prepared, so that we should return to health disasters such as the Ebola virus outbreak, are no longer so unprepared, they are better prepared and able to react collectively. We are willing to do so, to do this together with Norway and Germany. Thank you!

Question: Madam Chancellor, you said that you have talked about security issues, especially with regard to the current situation in West Africa, and you have acknowledged that the president of Ghana has presided over ECOWAS. At present, we see the problem of terrorism against; because we think primarily of the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria. How could you support as a good partner the Chairman of ECOWAS, above all, to ensure that terrorism is not a cancer, just as our President has just hinted?

Mr. President, you were just talking about the training and have focused on learning from the good example of another country when it comes to improving the situation in their own country.You have your education minister there. We also want to ensure that our universities and our technical colleges can develop. Can you describe to me what experiences the Germans we can take in order to then implement on-site in a manner of which we all benefit?

ANGELA MERKEL: We have, in fact, about the challenges of Boko Haram, about the heinous, brutal crimes being committed in Nigeria, but also in Cameroon against the civilian population, spoken. I welcome the proposal of the President Mahama, to form a regional force, which is dedicated to the fight against Boko Haram. The President has pointed out that such a regional force that is so equipped from African countries must also be sustainable funding. Therefore, we will talk with the EU also about what options are available to make a contribution through the partnership between the European Union and the African Union. I think it is right to select African troops for this task, but it is in our common interest that we can sustainably finance such a force.

President Mahama: Thank you, Madam Chancellor; I also thank you for your support. I can only add to that the AU Summit, which will take place later this month, the issue of Boko Haram and the question of creating a separate regional task force will pay. Ghana can provide troops available for this purpose. It would be good if then other partners could participate and the AU could provide financial way. We will, as I said, lay at the next summit of the AU on the table, discuss it and see in what ways we can work together with the EU since.

Now on vocational training. Take a look at Europe: Germany here has a huge comparative advantage when it comes to the technical education to vocational education and training, but also when it comes to empower people by being formed in craft occupations. Master craftsmen had here over the centuries a special standing. Our educational system in Ghana is such that great emphasis is placed on ensuring that you completed his education, the university closes and then definitely has a diploma in hand. We are a "lower middle income country", and the structure of our economy is changing.

The demand for skills for middle level grows; It is not so much university graduates who are asked with her diploma. Now we need to consider how we can convince young people that they be trained in the craft sector, so they will be easier to find a job and not with her Associates degree stand on end, but can not find a job. We have many young people who attend the university and then stand at the end of their training and have a diploma.But there are only a limited number of jobs in this sector, and we can not find a job for everyone there.

Therefore, we need to ensure that young people can just bring their work force in the industry to bear. Since carpenters, plumbers, truck drivers, crane operators are required. We must ensure that our system also produces workers for these areas of our economy. Therefore, I have spoken to the Chancellor about how we can work actively in an exchange here and how we might be able to learn and take over from the German example of VET something.

Question: I have a question about Boko Haram, both to the President and to the

Chancellor: The West has even intervened militarily against Islamist terror by the IS and also in Mali. Would you be sure that European countries should participate in the fight against Boko Haram militarily and should help? If not, why not?

Chancellor, a supplementary question to the euro: There are newspapers that speak of a fateful week the euro due to the ECB's decision and Greece-election. Look at it well so that the euro is in this week before a fateful question?

P Mahama: At this time, I still do not see the need that one should also ask for European troops. I think the countries in the region are quite capable of interfering with its own troops. But we could certainly obtain logistical support and other support from European partners. Germany has very strong support in the past; as Ghana, Mali had made in the fight against the crisis there troops available Germany had provided aircraft, which have ensured that our armed forces, our soldiers could be brought to Mali. This is more the kind of support we need. I do not think it is now necessary that European armed forces or armed forces of the West now come to Africa to fight there.

ANGELA MERKEL: I just want to point out - because I know how the coverage is then - that not even a mandate of the African Union exists, let alone ECOWAS has set up troops. This is now so once on the African side, and I take very seriously the call that we are financially by the EU to contribute above all.

I would not talk about a fateful week for the euro. I have always said that we have not yet fully overcome the euro crisis - that was last week, which was the last week of the year 2014, and the same goes this week. The ECB makes its decisions independently anyway, and otherwise the Greek people have the opportunity to conduct elections. That will do the responsible citizens of Greece, and then we'll see. I can only repeat what I have said time and again these days: Our whole policy is directed to the fact that Greece is a part of the euro area. Always have to achieve this goal, two things go together - that was in the last few years and so it will remain so - on the one side his own efforts and on the other hand, the solidarity of the Member States of the euro zone. For this purpose, Germany is also ready. Greece has until now always meets the programming steps. People have very taken huge sacrifices; is aware. Solidarity and responsibility - - Nevertheless, these two sides of a coin remain continue.

Question: Madam Chancellor, as I have heard or how I understand it now, feel free to Europe and the world is still the question of Boko Haram. When in Paris, twelve people were killed, the whole world has gone on the road, you yourself also. In Nigeria, more than 2,000 people were killed, and you do not do anything. Do not you find that unfair?

ANGELA MERKEL: It is a misconception to say that we have not moved the profoundly. We condemn terrorism in Nigeria by Boko Haram. It was when the girls were abducted, similar responses across Europe. We do everything in our power here to be helpful.

The time now went to a certain aspect, namely the question: how is it related with troops in the fight against Boko Haram? This includes first of all, that Nigeria agrees that such a regional force helps there.

Secondly, we have heard from the President - and I support this - that the regional force of troops in Africa sufficient. If we are asked to financially to do something to support this, we will of course do so because of terrorism anywhere is equally bad - whether in Paris or in Iraq by IS or by Boko Haram in Africa. We make no difference. Many, many people in Germany are moved to the deepest in terms of terrorism by Boko Haram.

Question: Mr. President, you spoke about the German G7 presidency this year? If so, what are your expectations of pulses regard to the promotion of international growth, for example?

Chancellor, if I may: In Dresden today all the demonstrations have been banned. Very generally speaking, Fear actually that the right of assembly and the free society be affected by the threat of terror?

P Mahama: We are looking forward to the German Presidency in the framework of the G7. We are convinced that the German G7 presidency will create new opportunities not only for Africa, but also for other parts of the world. We have also spoken today about an issue that is particularly important for Africa. This is the international response in the health sector. We have talked about the time after Ebola. As soon as the last case was fought successfully, we must ensure that, if such a crisis should reiterate, are better prepared. This applies to the preparation of our health sectors, so that we should again come to a similar crisis, are better prepared to respond to it, so it does not become a global issue. This is one of the issues on which we have already spoken today before Germany takes over the G7 presidency.

ANGELA MERKEL: On the question of Dresden, and I will again point out that I have said in December that it is out of the question that we have freedom of demonstration in Germany. This demonstration freedom is not just something, but it is a valuable asset. It is not for nothing categorised as a fundamental right and qualified. That is, such a valuable asset must be, wherever possible, protected. Therefore, everything is done - at least I think that - that freedom of demonstration is secured to any location in Germany. If the federal government can be helpful in order to secure such demonstrations, we will, if we were asked what we are not so far, of course, ensure.

I have as Chancellor - irrespective of whether I liked the content - a direct interest that can be demonstrated in any place in Germany, because it is a fundamental right.