President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday welcomed five newly accredited envoys to Ghana from Italy, Cuba, Liberia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran.
The diplomats presented their letters of credence and letters recalling their predecessors during a formal ceremony at the Jubilee House. They included Madam Laura Ranalli, Ambassador of Italy; Mr. Julio Enrique Pujol Torres, Ambassador of Cuba; Mrs. Musu Jatu Ruhle, Ambassador of Liberia; Dr. Abdulla Muraid Sulaiman Mohammed Al Mandoos, Ambassador of UAE; and Mr. Ali Ghomshi, Ambassador of Iran.
Speaking separately with each envoy at the Credentials Hall in Accra, President Mahama reaffirmed the strong diplomatic ties between Ghana and their respective nations.
During his meeting with Madam Laura Ranalli, the Italian Ambassador, President Mahama noted that this was his first credential ceremony since assuming office on January 7, making Italy the first country to present its new envoy, which he described as a positive sign of continued cooperation.
“Our relations have been historical, and Ghanaians have a very high regard for our cooperation with Italy,” President Mahama stated.
On energy collaboration, President Mahama revealed that he had recently met with Mr. Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, Italy’s multinational energy company, to discuss Ghana’s oil and gas sector.
“We had very good discussions. There were some issues that they had during the previous administration. Happily, we’ve been able to resolve them, and so he indicated that they were willing to go ahead with their investment in Ghana,” the President said.
He emphasized the vital role of Eni in Ghana’s energy supply, noting that “almost 60 percent of our total gas supply for power generation is coming from Eni, and they have the possibility of ramping that up with the other compartments that we gave them.”
He also highlighted the potential for further collaboration between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Eni, as well as other investors in Ghana’s upstream oil and gas industry.
President Mahama further commended Italy’s contribution to Ghana’s infrastructure, citing landmark projects such as the construction of the Akosombo and Kpone Hydro-electric Dams. He noted that engineering and technology remained areas where both nations could share expertise and strengthen cooperation.
He also welcomed Italy’s agriculture initiatives, stressing that food security was a priority for his administration.
“One of the first things any responsible government must do is provide food security for its people,” he said.
Touching on Ghana’s economic progress, President Mahama pointed out that inflation, which had previously surged to 54 percent, had now dropped to 22 percent, with expectations of further decline.
Additionally, he announced that the Government of Ghana would soon launch a Labour Export Policy aimed at exporting skilled Ghanaian labour to other countries.
On her part, Madam Ranalli congratulated President Mahama on his victory in the December 7 general election and reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to strengthening ties with Ghana.
She described the renewed cooperation between Ghana and Eni as a promising development for investment and economic growth.
“With regard to agriculture, Bonifiche Ferraresi, Italy’s largest company in the sector, has committed to investing in Ghana through the establishment of model farms,” she said.
“These farms are designed to promote regenerative agriculture, develop sustainable, scalable, and innovative agro-industrial value chains, enhance food security, and foster the education of human capital to generate lasting employment.”
