Claude Maerten, Head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Ghana, has paid a courtesy call on Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho.

The visit was to deepen partnership between the EU and Ghana’s Parliament.

Mr Maerten said the existing relationship between the EU and Ghana in the area of trade and democracy needed to be strengthened, as both shared common values of rule of law, human rights and justice, that needed to be protected.

He said the Speaker represented an important body to help build constructive relationship with Europe.

Mr Maerten said issues of paramount importance, which the EU would assist Ghana’s legislature with, was capacity building for its new members to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.

He said many development partners were already providing support and the EU would complement in the area of training.

Mr Maerten also called for the promotion of balance between the legislature and the executive, and touched on how to facilitate access to European market for Ghana’s products.

Mr Jones Kugblenu, Director of Public Affairs, said the Speaker was grateful to the EU for the support it continued to render to the country and called for more fruitful cooperation.

He said due to the high attrition rate of the members of Parliament in every Parliament, there was the need to provide members with needed training to equip them to be able to perform their constitutional duties.

He said issues of strengthening state institutions and other institutional structures were touched.