Yesterday, I ended a two-day visit to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, where I joined a high-level delegation for the Hungarian-Ghanaian Joint Economic and Technical Commission (JETC) Plenary Session where both countries, (Ghana and Hungary) signed a number of Agreements for mutual benefit.
The Agreement centered on areas such as the Status of Bilateral Economic Relations, Trade, and Investment, Taxation; Cooperation in the field of Water Management, Agriculture, Environment; Housing, Education, and Culture.
I was honoured to represent Ghana as the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Ghana on Cooperation Within the Framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme for the year 2023-2025.
The Scholarship Programme, though initially signed in 2015, took effect in 2016. So far some 457 persons have benefitted from this initiative. (2016-43, 2017-48, 2018-48, 2019-50, 2020-93, 2021-83, and 92 in 2022)
What this means is that there is renewed confidence in the human resource of Ghana and more people stand to benefit from this Scholarship Programme in subsequent years.
Some of the delegates from Ghana comprised H.E. Mr. James K. Nyasembi, Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary of Ghana to Czech Republic; H.E Mr. Amb. Joseph Cleland, Acting Chief Executive, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Mr Emmanuel Quao, Deputy Director, International Cooperation Division, Ghana Export Promotion Authority; Mr Kwasi Abankwa, Head, Corporate and International Affairs, Ministry of Education; Mr. Mehiawo Lovi, Principal Investment Promotion Officer, Ghana Export Promotion Council; Mr Yaw Anaafi Agyemang Opare Adu, Acting Head of Administration, The Ghana Library Authority
The Hungarian dignitaries included Dr. Istvan Perosa, Head of Department, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary H.E Mr. Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program (Co-Chair), H.E Mr. Tamas Feher, Hungarian Ambassador to Ghana; Mr Gabor Nemeth, Head of Department, Department for Water Diplomacy and Tied Aid; Mr. Szabolcs Szolnoki, Deputy State Secretary for Technology; Ms. Gyongy Katalin Bajdor, Coordinator for Direct EU Programmes.