Trade between Ghana and Czech Republic reached 700 million euros in 2020, Mr Martin Tlapa, the Deputy Minister of Czech Republic, has said.

This represents almost a 100 per cent increase over the figure recorded in 2019, which stood at around 340 million euros.

Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in an exclusive interview in Accra on Friday, MrTlapasaid agriculture products, machinery, pharmaceutical products and materials used for infrastructure projects in Ghana were the key products of trade between the two countries.

He said some of the products imported to Ghana from Czech were used for ongoing health and road projects in Ghana.

MrTlapa, who is in Ghana on a working visit, said the relationship between the two countries was based on mutual respect for the benefits of their people.

While describing Ghana as a functioning democracy, he said he would be happy to see the economic ties between Ghana and Czech Republic deepened in the next years.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said Czech was the gateway to the European Union (EU), adding that the Union was working to build a strong economic partnership with countries in the West African sub-region.

MrTlapa mentioned defence (cyber security and terrorism), health and infrastructure development as other areas of cooperation between Czech and Ghana, noting that the two countries must work together to prevent terrorist attacks in the sub-region.

He said the lessons learnt from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic must serve as a useful lesson to improve access to infrastructure.

On tourism, which was considered as the third largest foreign exchange earner to Ghana’s economy, he said Ghana could rake in more revenue from the sector,

On agriculture, MrTlapa said Ghana could attain self-sufficiency in food production if the country utilised its vast agricultural lands to grow crops, bred animals, and other farming activities.