The Japanese envoy calls John Mahama

General News of Saturday, February 9, 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2019-02-09

Japan's ambbadador to Ghana, Tsutomu Himeno, paid Friday a courtesy call on former president John Dramani Mahama at his home in Accra.

Ambbadador Himeno conveyed the warm congratulations of the Prime Minister of Japan and recounted the long-standing and personal relations of John Mahama with Japan. He also reaffirmed his country's commitment to strengthening its cooperation with the Republic of Ghana and to expeditiously execute ongoing projects, regardless of the political party in power.

President Mahama congratulated Japan for its support and recalled the successful restoration of the yen loan portfolio as a result of his personal interventions and his talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He reminded the Ambbadador of the Volivo Bridge on Lake Volta, the first project whose implementation had been approved as part of the yen loan portfolio.

Mr. Mahama also thanked Japan for its 1.6 billion yen financial support for the construction of an advanced research center on infectious diseases at the Noguchi Memorial Institute in Legon. President Mahama lobbied for the creation of the center following the Ebola virus disease that shook the West African sub-region in 2014, after which Japan signed the center's agreement when 39, a state visit to Tokyo of President Mahama in 2016.

They also discussed other issues relating to the road connecting Takoradi to Kumasi, the extension of the Tema highway, the Edubiase bridge and other projects. Ambbadador Himeno said most of the projects would be completed and commissioned by 2020.

Among the other topics discussed include the wave of attacks by self-defense groups, insecurity, the violence that rocked the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and the general election of 2020.

The Japanese ambbadador also informed the ex-president of preparations for the future of the Japanese monarch as a result of the decision of the Empress to abdicate the throne in favor of his son, the Crown Prince.

Mahama congratulated Prime Minister Abe and Japan for the stability and economic prosperity enjoyed by Japan.