The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has assured that authorities in the West African nation will embark on public education to address the misconceptions surrounding its Mutual Exemption of Entry Visa Requirements for holders of certain categories of passports.
It was recently announced that Parliamentary has ratified the agreement for the Mutual Exemption of Entry Visa Requirements for holders of certain categories of passports signed between Ghana and the UAE.
But during a video call with the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Madam Botchwey noted that “recent inaccurate media reportage had created some misconceptions in the minds of some members of the traveling public in Ghana following the announcement of the Parliamentary ratification of the agreement for the Mutual Exemption of Entry Visa Requirements for holders of certain categories of passports signed between Ghana and the UAE.
In that regard, she mentioned that public education will be embarked upon by the Government to clarify the inaccuracies so as to enable a smooth implementation of the Mutual Exemption of the Entry visas in line with the intention of the two countries.
Below is her full talking points shared by the Foreign Ministry
TALKING POINTS FOR MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION, HONOURABLE SHIRLEY AYORKOR BOTCHWEY, ON THE OCCASION OF A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH SHEIKH SHAKHBOOT BIN NAHYAN AL NAHYAN, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ON MONDAY, 16TH AUGUST, 2021
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, requested to hold a virtual meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Monday, 16th August, 2021, at 11:30 am.
During the meeting, the Hon. Minister
Conveyed warm and fraternal greetings to Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan;
Recalled with satisfaction the cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and the UAE;
Mentioned that our bilateral relations have been further consolidated with the exchange of high-level visits since 2009, notably, the official visit of H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the UAE from 17th to 18th November, 2019, at the instance of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed. Stated further that the visit led to the signing of four (4) Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) aimed at deepening the ties of co-operation and the bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries;
Indicated that the MOUs signed include that of Mutual Exemption of Entry Visa Requirements, Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income, Agreement in the Field of Manpower, and Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters;
Noted that recent inaccurate media reportage had created some misconceptions in the minds of some members of the traveling public in Ghana following the announcement of the Parliamentary ratification of the agreement for the Mutual Exemption of Entry Visa Requirements for holders of certain categories of passports signed between Ghana and the UAE. In that regard, mention that public education will be embarked upon by the Government to clarify the inaccuracies so as to enable a smooth implementation of the Mutual Exemption of the Entry visas in line with the intention of the two countries;
Referd particularly to the MOU signed with the Dubai based Thumbay Group towards the establishment of a teaching hospital and a Medical University in Ghana and request the Minister to use his good offices to encourage the implementation of the MOU;
Reminded that the Agreement between Ghana and the UAE for the Promotion and Protection of Investments is still under consideration by both sides and needs to be worked on at an accelerated pace for the mutual benefit of our two countries;
Emphasized the need for the two countries to ratify and implement the signed Agreements and MOUs;
Commented on the UAE’s request for support for the candidature of Major-General Dr. Ahmed Bin Nasser Al-Raisi, Inspector-General at the Ministry of Interior, for election to the position of the President of Interpol for the period 2022-25 during the Interpol General Assembly in November 2021;
Informed that the request for support is receiving the attention of the competent Ghanaian authorities;
In line with the recent success on vaccine cooperation with Qatar, the Hon. Minister may;
Further discussed the need for cooperation on access to vaccines between Ghana and the UAE aimed at accelerating economic recovery in both countries and keeping healthy populations. On this score, the Hon. Minister may laud the UAE for the wide vaccine coverage of the population in that country. She may further indicate Ghana’s ambition of covering 70% of her people by December 2021 and request support from the UAE to help achieve it;
Alluded to the fact that the two countries share a strong commitment to peace and security, underpinned by a common interest in a stable and secure Middle-East;
Commended the UAE for being the first country to sign the Abraham Accords in pursuit of normalization of ties with Israel and in pursuit of peace and stability in the Middle-East;
Acknowledged that our people-to-people contact expanded on the backdrop of strong growth through direct flights, with the Dubai-based Emirates Airline operating daily flights between Accra and Dubai;
Highlighted new areas for cooperation including Climate Change and environmental protection as part of cooperation at the multilateral level for the common good of mankind;
Expressed the hope that the two countries will continue to support each other’s development efforts;
Finally thanked her UAE counterpart for the virtual meeting and call for sustaining regular diplomatic consultations on all matters of mutual benefits to our two countries.
MIDDLE-EAST BUREAU
AUGUST, 2021
