Category: Government

Dear colleague, Dear Shirley,

Thank you so much for receiving me. Following our meeting in New York in September, I have to say this is the first visit of a Greek Foreign Minister in Ghana ever. We are very excited about that, but this is an enormous gap we have to cover.
What I did and I would like to stress is that apart from the 100.000 I sent, we brought another 50.000 vaccines today.

We care very much. And we don’t have a colonial past so we very much identify with your struggle for independence. You are the first sub-Saharan country that did that. I knew the name of Nkrumah since I was a kid. I remember the first time I heard it; it was 1974. I remember it because there was a Ghanaian student and we were together in the United States. And he gave a speech about it. And that’s how I got to know what you have done in the past.

It is very important also that by being here, we see what you are doing here. And you are a powerhouse for western Africa. The Government, your President, your country are very important for Western Africa and we appreciate this very much.

And, also, I have to say that Greeks have been here before us, Greek businessmen. We have a 100 million Euros of investment already in Ghana, this is very important. Before coming here, I went to a Greek school in Tema and it was so touching. This school is being helped by donations of the Greeks that have invested in Ghana. I called them and I thanked them, and I encouraged them to do more because it is of extreme importance.

If you will allow me to say also, what we should do is to try to put economic flesh to the bone of our existing relationship. We have the same principles. We are seafaring nations, both of us, and there is a lot that we can do together. And the purpose of my visit is really to pave the way for the businessmen to invest more and do more. And also give you the possibility to know us better. Come and visit us the soonest possible. I am going also to invite the President, in the name of my President.  

I believe that there is a lot that we can do. Africa will be the powerhouse of the world, and Ghana is already the powerhouse of Western Africa. So, thank you very much for that, and I will expand afterwards on things we can do, especially on maritime security and specialized items: energy, and tourism.

Thank you so much for receiving me.

JOURNALIST: This is the first time a Greek Minister is visiting Ghana? What are your impressions?

N. DENDIAS: Well, you are right. It is the first time ever that a Greek Minister has the honour and pleasure to visit Ghana. And I have to say, what I have been seeing here is a young African country that does its best and it’s on its way to a very bright future.

And I would have to say that my country, Greece, would like to be a part of that Ghanaian future. We would like to work together, we would like to take our common friendship to a new level, to promote it.

So, thank you so much for this question, I am very happy and very proud to be here in Ghana today. As you know, I am meeting the Foreign Minister and the President. And we donated a couple of hundred thousands vaccines to help the Ghanaian society go through the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is a great pleasure and a great honour to be here today.  

JOURNALIST: How do you see Ghana-Greece cooperation going further?

N. DENDIAS: We are both seafaring nations, we care about the sea, we are close to the sea. So, that common denominator can create a very bright future for us and we can work in all sort of ways together, we can cooperate in energy, we can cooperate through the Greek maritime fleet, which is the biggest in the world, we can really cooperate on how to bring to Ghana the know-how of renewables, of energy saving and also tourism, in which we have one of the best industries in the world. There are many things that we can do together. There are many synergies that can be built. But this needs human contact and, also, needs economic contact. We have to put flesh on the bones of our very good and friendly relation. We share the same principles but it needs positive work. And, allow me to say, you have a young, very dynamic population. This is the best capital for the future.

Σεβασμιότατε (Your Eminence),
Ladies and Gentlemen,
and of course, dear students,

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Tsakos Foundation for this amazing job that they are doing here in Accra. And also, I would like to appreciate the Mytilinaios Company for their huge involvement.

I have to say that they set for us Greeks a very proud example of how we could help our fellow human beings in another continent, which on the map looks far, if you are here looks extremely close to ours.

I came here on behalf of the Greek Government, the Government of Prime Minister Mitsotakis, in order to add our own donation to this proud example of human care for each other.

Thank you so much, all of you, for what you are doing here. I am so proud and so moved and so touched to be with our Ambassador here today. And please rest assured that we will be here to assist you in the future as much as we can.

Thank you so much.

Your Excellencies,

Thank you so much for your presence here today. It is a great pleasure for me.

Following my meeting with Her Excellency the Foreign Affairs Minister of Ghana, my dear friend Shirley, last September, we came here to Accra today to present you the first 50.000 doses of vaccines. As you know, we have already shipped another 100.000 doses. This is our contribution to help you address the COVID-19 pandemic, which is common for all. Unless we share our resources on a global level, we cannot address it. I hope, and I am sure they will be put to good use.

And allow me to say that I am so happy to be here in Accra today.

Thank you so much.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, in the context of the ongoing upgrade of Greece’s presence in sub-Saharan Africa, will travel to Ghana (November 24-25, 2021) and Gabon (November 25-26, 2021). During his stay in the above countries, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will hold a series of bilateral meetings with senior officials.

In Ghana, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to meet on Thursday, November 25, with his counterpart Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. He is also due to visit the Greek school that operates in the country, as well as the St. Nicholas Church in Ghana.

In Gabon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to meet on Friday, November 26, with his counterpart Pacôme Moubelet-Boubeya.

The aforementioned talks will focus on strengthening Greece’s bilateral cooperation with Ghana and Gabon in the fields of economy, investment, implementation of International Law, especially the International Law of the Sea, as well as on cooperation within International Organizations.

Continuing the provision of aid from Greece to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the course of Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ visit a delivery of COVID-19 vaccines will also take place: 150,000 vaccines donated to Ghana and 200,000 to Gabon.