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Ghana commends Germany for historic
reunification
Accra, Oct. 4, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana on Wednesday commended
the Federal Republic of Germany for the historic
reunification and pulling down of the dreaded Berlin Wall,
which paved the way for the normalization of relationship
between West and East Germany 17 years ago.
"Ghana shares in the joy of Germany for the achievement,
which hitherto was never thought of. We are particularly
gratified by the speed and consistency in the process for
reunification," Nana Akomea, Minister for Manpower, Youth
and Employment, said in response to a toast at the 17th
anniversary celebration of German reunification in Accra.
Nana Akomea, who headed a Government delegation to
participate in the anniversary, which also attracted the
German community in Ghana, the diplomatic corps, journalists
and other West African nationals, called for greater
cooperation between the two nations.
German reunification took place on October 3, 1990, when the
former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was
incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (West
Germany).
The start of the reunification process is commonly referred
to as Die Wende (The Turning/The Change).
After East Germany's first free elections on March 18, 1990,
negotiations between the two countries culminated in a
Unification Treaty, whilst negotiations between them and the
four occupying powers produced the so-called "Two Plus Four
Treaty" granting full sovereignty to a unified German state,
whose two halves had previously been bound by a number of
limitations stemming from its post-World War II status as an
occupied nation.
Dr Marius Haas, German Ambassador, recounted the 50th
anniversary of Ghanaian-German political relations as well
as development cooperation.
He said since 1957 the commitments made by Germany to Ghana
exceeded one billion Euros.
"Just a few weeks ago a German delegation was here for
negotiations on our bilateral development cooperation for
the next two years.
"Fifty-three million Euros, equivalent to approximately 69
million GHC, have been earmarked for direct budget support
as well as for programmes in the fields of agriculture,
private sector development, decentralization and law
reform."
He said there was no other African country where the
exchange of high and highest ranking political visits had
been as intensive as in the case of Ghana in 2007.
He recounted the visit of the German President Horst Köhler
in January for an official visit and to participate in the
Second Africa Forum.
Dr Haas said President John Agyekum Kufuor had already
agreed to attend the Third Africa Forum to be held in
Germany early next month.
During the visit President Kufuor would sign a partnership
agreement between the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
and the Republic of Ghana in Bonn.
"These demonstrate the quality of the Ghanaian-German
relations and I am confident that these relations -
characterized by friendship, harmony and confidence - will
be maintained and even deepened in the years to come."
GNA
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