U.S. Department Of State

By James P. Rubin, Spokesman

Washington - U.S. and Ghanaian delegations today agreed on the terms of an Open Skies air transport agreement between the two governments.

The text of the agreement was initialed in Washington by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas White and Ambassador Kobina Arthur Koomson of Ghana following three days of talks March 14-16, and earlier negotiations July 1999 in Washington and September 1999 in Accra.

Today's agreement represents a new partnership to encourage development of air services between the two countries, and is the culmination of an extensive dialogue on aviation between the United States and Ghana begun in 1997. It also contributes further momentum to U.S.-Ghana ties following President Clinton's March 1998 visit to Accra.

The new accord establishes ground rules that will enable airlines of both countries to provide new services between Ghana and the United States as early as this summer. The agreement will be implemented immediately on a provisional basis, pending entry into force by signature at an early date.

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary White noted the key role Ghana has played in the region on economic as well as aviation issues. Mr. White said, "Ghana has been a leader in Africa on both economic reform and aviation. It is one of only three sub-Saharan countries to achieve a Category I assessment from the Federal Aviation Administration. I think this agreement demonstrates the confidence we both have in Ghana's potential. Ghana is the fourth-largest U.S. export market in sub- Saharan Africa, and direct U.S. investment there totaled $700 million as of 1999, and is growing."

"We look forward to carriers of both countries initiating new services in the very near future. We expect that several additional American air carriers will be providing code-share service via Europe by this summer. In addition, Ghana's national airline, Ghana Airways, is in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities created by the agreement to institute new direct services to the United States."

The agreement is the fourth aviation agreement negotiated under the Administration's Partnership with Africa. It follows similar agreements with Tanzania in November of last year, and Namibia and Burkina Faso last month.

Open Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other's territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. The United States has concluded 44 Open Skies agreements with partners in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)