Cooperation between Ghana and Turkey for Sea, Air and Rail Freight Infrastructure

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu pointed out that the aim is to increase the trade volume between Turkey and Ghana to 1 billion dollars in the coming period, and said, "We agreed to initiate a comprehensive technical cooperation process between Ghana and Turkey for sea, air and rail transport infrastructure."

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu spoke at the Turkey-Ghana Joint Economic Commission meeting. Stating that it is very important for Turkey to develop its relations with the friendly and brotherly country Ghana in every field, Karaismailoğlu said, “I believe that the Joint Economic Commission meeting we held will make a great contribution to the development of our relations. We are developing our relations with the continent on the basis of equal partnership and mutual benefit, within the scope of the Strategy for the Development of Commercial and Economic Relations with African countries, which our country started in 2003. In this process, we sincerely tried to contribute to the peace and stability and economic and social development of the continent from the very beginning, and as a result of these efforts, we have covered significant distances in many areas. While Turkey-Africa trade volume was 2003 billion dollars in 5,4, this figure reached 2021 billion dollars in 34,5. The market value of our investments in Africa has reached 6 billion dollars, the number of projects undertaken by Turkish contractors across the continent has exceeded 1750, and the economic size has exceeded 81 billion dollars.

TURKEY-GHANA COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY IN THE RECENT YEARS

Karaismailoğlu stated that there are currently Turkish Embassy in 43 countries of Africa and Commercial Counseling Offices in 26 countries, and continued his speech as follows;

“Our national airline, Turkish Airlines, flies to 61 destinations across the continent. In our relations, we have adopted a holistic policy that deals with African development issues and includes regular humanitarian assistance. Our TIKA projects and the helping hand we have extended in the conditions of COVID-19 are indicators of this. We will continue this cooperation in the coming period. Turkey-Ghana trade and economic relations have developed rapidly in recent years. Our trade volume, which was 2003 million dollars in 132, has increased over the years and reached 2021 million dollars by 581. In the upcoming period, we aim to increase our bilateral trade volume to 1 billion dollars. We consider that we have an important investment relationship with Ghana. The amount of investments made in Ghana by the companies of our country to date is approximately 140 million dollars. To date, 793 contracting projects worth 15 million USD have been undertaken by our companies in Ghana. I am sure that Turkish companies will be very active in the projects to be implemented in the coming period, such as the modernization and construction of hospitals, highways, railways, increasing the diversity of agricultural products and mechanization, which are among the development priorities of Ghana, and the support of the Ghana side will also be important in this regard.”

WE AGREE TO ORGANIZATIONS MORE FREQUENTLY

Expressing that the technical teams have discussed the issues on the agenda of the commercial and economic relations between Turkey and Ghana with all the details for two days, Minister of Transport, Karaismailoğlu said, “Trade, industry, science and technology, contracting and technical consultancy, energy and mining, agriculture, livestock, water. and forest, environment and urbanism, transportation, culture and tourism, health, technical cooperation, education, youth and sports. We wish for the Mutual Protection and Promotion of Investments Agreement between Ghana and Turkey to enter into force as soon as possible, and for the Double Taxation Avoidance (CAR) Agreement and the Maritime Cooperation Agreements to be signed as soon as possible. We have agreed to organize more frequent organizations such as fairs and exhibitions, which aim to increase the trade volume between Turkey and Ghana. We agreed to initiate a comprehensive technical cooperation process between Ghana and Turkey on maritime, air and rail transport infrastructure. We agreed to continue and further the cooperation in the fields of standardization. It was agreed to develop comprehensive technical cooperation in the agriculture, water and forestry sectors. On the occasion of the meeting, the Health Cooperation Agreement signed between our countries in 2011 should be put into effect as soon as possible and the International Health Services Inc. in the health sector. We have agreed on the development of cooperation. Considering the potential of Ghana in the field of energy and mining, we will work together to evaluate cooperation opportunities in the renewable energy, hydrocarbon, electricity distribution and mining sectors in the coming period.”

WE ARE READY TO DEVELOP NEW PROJECTS

Emphasizing that at the meeting, an agreement was reached on furthering the technical cooperation carried out by TIKA, Karaismailoğlu said that they are ready to develop new projects in line with Ghana's priorities and TIKA's capacity. Drawing attention to the importance of developing advanced cooperation with Ghana in the field of education, Karaismailoğlu said, “In the coming period, we aim to carry the cooperation and experience sharing to a further point through mutual scholarships and training programs. We aim to complete the necessary legal infrastructure for this as soon as possible. As Turkey, we will closely follow all these issues and projects that are on the agenda of our bilateral trade and economic relations. It will be our priority to quickly implement the decisions taken on this and other issues agreed at the Joint Economic Commission meeting.