He called on the Qatari government, through its Envoy to Ghana, to draw the attention of the leadership of that country to the issue for an expedited resolution.

President Akufo-Addo expressed the concern when the Qatari Ambassador to Ghana, Mohamed Ahmed Jaber Al-Kuwari, and three other ambassadors presented their letters of credence to him at the Flagstaff House in Accra Monday.

The three other ambassadors are Markus Nikolaus Paul Dutly, Switzerland; Martine-Francoise Dossa, Benin, and Werner Senfter of Austria.

The President told the new Qatari Ambassador that the Ghanaian government was worried about the constant complaints of abuse meted out to Ghanaians who worked in Qatar.

“There is also a matter of concern to all of us directly, and that is the treatment of Ghanaians in Qatar. I’m sure you know about it and the concerns we have about the way Ghanaian nationals who go to work in Qatar are treated.

“There’s been constant complaint. We think there are good relations between the two countries and in enhancing our good relations, the authorities in Qatar should try and do something about it, so that those complaints could stop, so that we can have a much more mutual and productive relationship,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, therefore, urged Mr Al-Kuwari to draw the attention of his government to the issue, which was of grave concern to Ghanaians, to ensure that the situation was resolved as soon as practicable.

President Akufo-Addo interacting with Mr Mohammed Jaber Al-Kuwarim (left), Qatar's Ambassador to Ghana

Qatari Ambassador pledges to act

Ambassador Al-Kuwari, for his part, assured the President to deliver to the Qatari government the concerns of the Ghanaian government and also pledged to strengthen relations between the two countries.

“Our two countries have strong relations and I believe in your determination to move forward to strengthen this bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples,” he said.

Mr Markus Nicklaus Paul Dugly, the Switzerland Ambassador to Ghana, presenting his credentials to President Akufo-Addo

Switzerland

At the turn of the Ambassador of Switzerland, the President said the two countries had long-standing relations which dated back two centuries.

He recalled the timeous intervention of the Swiss government during the Ebola crisis in the West African sub-region and said that was a confirmation of how relations between Ghana and Switzerland had blossomed.

President Akufo-Addo said although there was substantial trade between the two countries in terms of gold and cocoa exports to Switzerland, “the time has come for us to look for that opportunity to diversify that trade”.

He said the government’s intention was to enhance the quality of Ghana’s agriculture through the launch of an ambitious programme, adding that it was keen to showcase its programmes and plans to potential Swiss investors.

The President added that one of the most important tools available to the government was to raise the living standards of the people to create a business-friendly environment for investors.

Benin

Presenting her letters of credence to the President, the Ambassador of Benin to Ghana, Martine-Francoise Dossa, called for closer bilateral relations between the two countries.

President Akufo-Addo interacting with Mr Werner seftner (left),  the Austrian Ambassador

Austria

Mr Werner Senfter, the Austrian Ambassador, at his turn, talked about his intention to further strengthen the friendly ties between Ghana and Austria.

He also revealed the Austrian government’s intention to reopen a honorary consulate in Accra, as well as its preparedness to ensure an early approval of the many soft-loan projects currently in the pipeline, amounting to €40 million.

“I am very much looking forward to fruitful and successful cooperation with Ghana in many ways in the coming years,” he said.

Responding, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana was looking forward to strengthening economic ties with Austria.