President John Mahama on Thursday, 12 June, bade farewell to the outgoing British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, after a successful four-year tenure.
At a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, the President commended Madam Thompson for her years of service, which were marked by “positive engagements.”
Mr. Mahama highlighted the cordial relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom and emphasised the mutual need for deeper economic partnerships and trade.
Their conversation also touched on security cooperation as the President expressed appreciation to the UK for their invaluable support in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly in intelligence gathering and training.
“We appreciate the partnership we have shared in the fight against terrorism and will continue to rely on the UK for help and cooperation in intelligence gathering and training to prepare ourselves in the event of any attack,” he stated.
On regional diplomacy, President Mahama briefed the High Commissioner on his recent engagements with leaders of the Sahel region, namely Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
“I am going to have the opportunity to report to the rest of the ECOWAS leaders on trips I made to the three countries and share some of my perspectives about their grievances and how we can redefine relationships,” he added, ahead of the ECOWAS summit scheduled for Sunday—his first as President since taking office.
Touting Ghana’s economic performance, Mahama expressed cautious optimism about the recovery trajectory, sharing positive indicators from the first quarter of the year.
“The first quarter report on economic performance indicates a GDP growth of 5.3 per cent, inflation has reduced from 23 per cent to 18 per cent since January, and we hope to bring it down to 13 per cent by the end of the year. This positive trend, alongside a strengthening Ghana Cedi and renewed investor confidence, should provide some relief to Ghanaians and reflects our commitment to maintaining fiscal discipline,” he noted.
For her part, High Commissioner Harriet Thompson expressed gratitude for the strong collaboration she enjoyed with both government and citizens.
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