Official visit to Bern by the Ghanaian President, John Evans Atta Mills
Bern, 30.08.2010 - President Doris Leuthard, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA), today received the President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills, for an official visit at the Lohn Country Residence in Kehrsatz. The Ghanaian President was accompanied by the Foreign Minister and the Ministers for Trade and Industry, Information and a cabinet minister. At the meeting, agreements were signed on air transport and on a project to promote sustainable public procurement in Ghana.
Discussions focussed on appraising bilateral relations between the two countries, economic and trade relations and cooperation in the field of economic development cooperation. Regional and multilateral issues were also addressed.
Following the official discussions an agreement on air transport was signed between the Swiss Federal Council and the Government of the Republic of Ghana. This replaces the existing agreement dating from 1961. A further agreement regarding a project to promote sustainable public procurement in Ghana was signed by State Secretary Jean-Daniel Gerber, the Director of SECO, and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni. The project, which is part of the economic development cooperation of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs with funding of over USD 2.7 million, is intended to introduce the principles of transparency, accountability and sustainability in public procurement. In this way, free access to information should be assured for all interested parties regarding public tenders.
Ghana has been a priority country in Switzerland's economic development cooperation programme since 2002. As such Switzerland is concentrating its efforts via general budget support and technical assistance on the improvement of general macro-economic conditions and the transparency of public finances, the development and strengthening of the financial sector, the promotion of general conditions conducive to trade and the improvement of the investment climate, as well as the strengthening of the regulatory framework in the field of infrastructure and the improvement of efficiency in the energy sector. In addition, Switzerland supports the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre in Accra which trains African members of peace missions in West Africa.
Address for enquiries
Evelyn Kobelt, Press Spokesperson FDEA, Tel. +41 31 322 20 59, Mobile +41 79 301 71 72
Air Transport Agreement: Anton Kohler, FOCA, Tel. +41 31 325 83 70
Project Agreement: Hans-Peter Egler, SECO, Tel. +41 31 324 08 13
Publisher
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
http://www.wbf.admin.ch
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
Federal Office of Civil Aviation
http://www.bazl.admin.ch
