Today Her Majesty the Queen commences the official Danish state visit to Ghana. Her Majesty The Queen will be accompanied by the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Anders Samuelsen, Minister for Environment and Food, Mr. Esben Lunde Larsen, and a corporate delegation consisting of 39 Danish companies within agriculture and food, sustainability, clean tech and green solutions, and the maritime and infrastructure sectors.
The purpose of the official Danish trade campaign is to increase the goodwill for Danish companies in Ghana and create additional awareness of market opportunities.
Anders Samuelsen says:
”Ghana’s economy has experienced an impressive development in the past years. This means that Ghana now belongs to the group of lower middle-income countries, and the prospects for the coming years are positive. Therefore, Ghana is attracting investments from a growing number of Danish companies in sectors where Denmark has specific competitive expertise and where Ghanaian demands for Danish competencies are high. The state visit will support the expansion of the commercial cooperation between Ghana and Denmark.”
Since Ghana’s independence in 1957, there has been a close and positive relationship between Ghana and Denmark. Previously, the relationship focused on comprehensive development cooperation but with the impressive economic development that Ghana has experienced, the demand for development assistance has decreased, and Ghana’s increasing economic strength is now helping the country to stand on its own feet.
This constitutes the basis for a change in the Danish-Ghanaian relations which in 2020 are expected to be focusing on commercial and political cooperation while traditional development cooperation has come to an end.
“In pace with Ghana’s economic progress the extent of traditional Danish development cooperation is gradually decreasing while commercial and political cooperation is strengthened. Ghana has undergone a successful transformation, which has made the country a prominent and very positive example in a region where sustained peace and political stability is rare. Ghana is characterized by democracy and respect for human rights and the state visit shall underline and strengthen our future political and value based cooperation to the benefit of sustainable development, peace and security in West Africa,” says Anders Samuelsen
During the visit, the Minister for Foreign Affairs will meet with Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ghana’s Minister for Trade and Industry and Ghana Revenue Authority. He will also take part in the significant Ghanaian-Danish business conference, visit Danish and Ghanaian companies and meet young Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
For further information contact:
Anne Møller Ege, annemo@um.dk, phone: +45 41 53 25 26
