Accra, June 19, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Monday took delivery of 41 ambulances donated by the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Ghana and the Persian State in 2004.

The deal was clenched when Dr Kamal Kharazi, Iranian Foreign Minister, visited Ghana during which he signed the MOU with his Ghanaian Counterpart, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which he led to an offer of a 20 million- dollar trade credit to Ghana.

Vice President Alhaji Mahama received the key to one of the ambulances from Dr Kamran Baqeri Lankarani, Iranian Health Minister and handed it over to Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Ghana's Minister of Health.

He lauded the donation as a concrete manifestation of the fruitful co-operation that had existed between the two countries over the years. "These cordial relations have yielded other concrete results through Iran's contribution to Ghana's development process in the areas of rural agriculture improvement; small scale industry, education and health delivery," he said.

Vice President Alhaji Mahama announced that the Ghana-Iran Joint Commission for Cooperation was scheduled in Tehran, the capital city of Iran in August 2006, to facilitate the strengthening of existing relations and to identify new areas of cooperation. "It is important that the scope of the Joint Commission is extended to create room for private sector cooperation in order to boost business between the two countries," he said.

This he noted would enable a shift from aid-driven co-operation to mutually profitable business relationship between the two countries. Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD said the ambulances were the by-product of a 1.5 million dollar development grant from Iran to Ghana.

Mr Valiolallah Mahommadi Nasrabadi, Iranian Ambassador said the donation was part of the fruits of the Iranian Revolution to the Third world where the people faced numerous health challenges. He called on Ghana to open a Mission in Iran to strengthen bilateral ties.