EU Commission Vice-President Katainen to grace first Ghana-EU business forum

The European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, Mr. Jyrki Katainen, is expected to arrive in Ghana on 13 June 2019 for a two-day official visit as part of a two-nation visit to Togo and Ghana.

While in Ghana, Mr. Katainen will participate in the first Ghana-EU Business Forum, on 14 June in Accra and deliver the closing remarks alongside Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Vice President and the Economic Management team.

He will also visit Tema Port’s new terminal, which is providing strategic enhanced capacity for international and regional trade.

In Togo, he will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first Togo-EU Economic Forum on 13 June 2019 together with the President of the Republic of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, which will also be the venue for the launch of the European Chamber of Commerce in Togo.

His visit to the two countries emphasises Europe’s strong commitment and partnership in the region, in the context of the Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investment and jobs.

The Africa-Europe Alliance represents a coherent economic strategy of engagement aimed at job creation with the support of sustainable private sector investment, covering de-risking, investment climate, trade/economic integration, including the Economic Partnership Agreements, and education/vocational training.

In view of both countries’ commitments to economic and social transformation and reform undertaken to date (as part of the G20 Compact with Africa launched in 2017), it is clear that both countries offer strong potential for Alliance implementation and its flagship, the EU’s External Investment Plan.