State visit by president of Ghana

Ghana’s head of state, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, visited Switzerland on 28 and 29 February 2020. In extending the invitation, the Federal Council wished to acknowledge the extremely good and longstanding relations between Switzerland and Ghana. The main subjects addressed during official talks led by President Sommaruga included peace and security policy, economic relations, and cooperation on environmental matters.

28.02.2020

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo pays state visit to Switzerland

Press conference
Official addresses
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The official talks at the Bernerhof were attended on the Swiss side by President Sommaruga and federal councillors Guy Parmelin and Ignazio Cassis. The Ghanaian delegation included Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

The Federal Council delegation commended Ghana’s strong commitment to peace policy through the UN and the African Union (AU). Since 2006 Switzerland has supported the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) based in Accra, Ghana’s capital city.

Economic relations are largely driven by imports of gold and cocoa to Switzerland: Ghana is Switzerland’s largest supplier of cocoa beans, and the tenth largest country of origin in terms of gold. The two delegations discussed ways in which social aspects and environmental standards could be given greater consideration in economic development and in the extraction of raw materials.

Federal Councillor Cassis and Ghanaian Foreign Minister Botchwey signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on environmental matters in the presence of President Sommaruga and President Akufo-Addo.