President John Dramani Mahama has tasked Ghana’s newly appointed Ambassador to Qatar, Mr Louis Kwame Obeng, to build on the goodwill generated between Ghana and Qatar through high-level engagements and direct it towards partnerships that support Ghana’s development priorities.
The President said relations between Ghana and Qatar offered considerable opportunities for deeper cooperation in investment, trade, tourism and development.
President Mahama gave the charge on Friday when he formally commissioned Mr Obeng and three other newly appointed envoys at the Presidency in Accra.
The other envoys are Nana Antwiwaa Dodoo, Ambassador to Angola; Mrs Evelyn Korantemaa Ofosu-Amable, Ambassador to Israel; and Mr Jedidiah Reuben Adogla, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to Geneva, Switzerland.
The President urged Mr Obeng to pay particular attention to the effective implementation of the labour mobility agreement between Ghana and Qatar.
He stressed that employment opportunities for Ghanaians in Qatar must be accompanied by clear safeguards for their rights, welfare and working conditions.
President Mahama tasked the Ambassador to maintain close contact with Ghanaian nationals in Qatar and ensure that any concerns affecting them were promptly raised with the appropriate authorities.
He further charged Mr Obeng to advance bilateral cooperation in skills development and employment and sustain engagement on outstanding agreements between the two countries.
These include the Joint Committee on Manpower Regulation and the Memorandum of Understanding on Military Cooperation.
President Mahama reiterated that the success of Ghana’s bilateral relations must ultimately be measured by the tangible benefits they deliver to citizens.
He said the country would measure the value of these relationships by the benefits they deliver to all Ghanaians.