-Victor Smith

By Mike Dokosi, Prague, Czech Republic

Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Victor Emmanuel Smith says Ghana is a credible investment destination and thus urged the Czech business community to invest in the country.

“Recent developments bare clear testimony to this fact. Indeed, the substantial amount of resources and support that Ghana and Japan have placed at the disposal of Ghana in response to our President’s recent visit to the Far East is one such testimony,” he said.

The Ambassador made these remarks during the celebration of the 54th Anniversary of Ghana’s Independence at the Hotel Praha, in the Czech Republic. The event was organised by the Ghana Embassy.

Present at the celebration were high ranking officials of the Czech government, Ambassadors of other countries in the Czech Republic and members of the diplomatic corps.

Ambassador Smith said over the last 18 years, Ghanaians have managed to sustain a relatively orderly democratic process which has greatly improved the country’s democratic credentials in the eyes of the international community.

“It is not by chance that the last three Presidents of the United States of America made important Policy Statements on Africa from Ghana,” he stressed.

The Ambassador said this recognition, coupled with recent socio-economic successes the government has chalked have in fact, positioned Ghana as a credible investment destination and indeed a reliable gateway to Africa.

Touching on Ghana-Czech relations, Ambassador Victor Smith said Ghana’s relations with the Czech Republic dates back over 50 years when Ghana’s First President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah exchanged visits with then Czechoslovakia President Antonin Novotny which resulted in the establishment of diplomatic Missions in our respective countries.

He said the visit to the Czech Republic last year by Ghana’s Vice President, John Mahama further boosted the relationship between the two countries as it enabled Ghana to make certain representations at the highest level to both the President and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

On the economic front, the Ambassador said Ghana’s discovery of oil in commercial quantities and the subsequent pumping of oil from the jubilee offshore field in December last year is an area where Czech expertise could be harnessed for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

He therefore asked the Czech business community to seriously consider Ghana as a viable investment destination.