Accra, Sept. 26, GNA – Papa Owusu Ankomah, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Ireland, has ended his tour of duty in the two countries after successfully strengthening the ties between Ghana and the two countries.
Set to return to Ghana on Saturday September 26, 2020, the High Commissioner according to a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, was returning with lots of experience and enthusiasm to contribute positively to the development and growth of Ghana in the realisation of the President’s agenda of ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.
Mr Owusu-Ansah left the shores of the UK with a great vacuum, having projected the image of Ghana positively in UK and Ireland, culminating in several successful reciprocal important visits between both countries.
Notable amongst them was the most recent one by the President Akufo-Addo to UK where he, together with about 22 other African countries, participated in the first ever UK-Africa Investment Summit.
On the side of the UK, his leadership saw the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and his wife visit Ghana.
The statement said the High Commissioner helped to deepen the bilateral relations between Ghana and the two countries.
The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Alistair Harrison CMG CVO, the statement said, called on Mr Owusu-Ankomah to bid him farewell and present to him a parting gift from the Queen, which was a picture of the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
He commended him for projecting Ghana into the limelight of the diplomatic community in London, which is considered as one of the largest diplomatic communities in the world.
Mr James Duddridge, the Minister for Africa of the United Kingdom, recalled the excellent relations that existed between Ghana and the U.K which most recently, enjoyed further boost due to the effective and prominent role the High Commissioner played during his tenure, the statement said.
He also commended Ghana for her President’s participation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and the UK-Africa Summit both held in London in April 2018 and January 2020, respectively.
He expressed profound gratitude to the High Commissioner for institutionalising his good works based on a rich experience which had led to uncountable highlights of his stay in the U.K.
On his part, Mr Owusu-Ankomah expressed gratitude to Mr Duddridge, who represented the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Mr Dominic Raab and the entire diplomatic community for their warm working relations and support since he assumed office.
The High Commissioner also called on the Secretary-General for the Commonwealth family, Madam Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr. Kitack Lim, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr Khaled Abdulaziz Al-Duwaisan GCVO, and the Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Mr Estifanos Habtemariam Ghebreyesus for a comprehensive partnership.
He also thanked them for the support in the discharge of his duties and the bilateral and multilateral relations that had been deepened across the about 185 Diplomatic Missions in the United Kingdom.
He said he was leaving with lots of experience and positive lessons and fond memories.
Mr Owusu-Ankomah is proceeding on leave prior to the end of his duty tour on November 30, 2020, the statement said.
