General News of Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Source: GNA

President Mahama receives U.S and Hungarian Ambassadors

President Dramani Mahama on Monday expressed the willingness of Ghana to partner progressive countries to achieve her development goals.

He said: “Ghana from independence has benefited from partnership and collaboration with other countries and will therefore continue to move in the same direction to ensure perpetual relationship that would enhance mutual benefits.”

President Mahama expressed this willingness when Gene A. Cretz and Zsolt Maris, Ambassadors for the United States of America and Hungary respectively, presented their letters of Credentials to him at the Castle, Osu.

The President traced the relations between Ghana and the United States to the days of Presidents Kwame Nkrumah and John F. Kennedy, which led to the provision of funds for the construction of the Akosombo dam.

He said the United States also instituted the Millennium Challenge Account of which Ghana has benefited immensely especially for financing numerous development projects throughout the country and promised that the second compact account would be spent on the energy sector to enable the country become a net exporter of energy.

President Mahama promised that Ghana would hold successful elections in December and called for technical and financial support that would help to strengthen the process.

He also thanked the U.S government for delegating Hilary Clinton to attend the funeral of late President Mills and hoped the new ambassador would adopt Ghana as his second country after the expiration of his duty tour.

On Hungary, President Mahama traced Ghana’s relations with the European country to the days of President Nkrumah, when they were both members of the Non-Aligned Movement as both shared commitments and ideas on the liberation of other countries.

He said Parliament had passed a number of legislations concerning the energy sector and expressed happiness that the Hungarian government was interested in the energy sector.

President Mahama proposed the introduction of cutting-edge technology that would facilitate energy production.

In a related development, Mr Festus Mongae, former President of Botswana, who is in the country to present a lecture, called on President Mahama at the Castle, Osu.