The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye, has called for strengthening of ties between Ghana and Qatar for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
He said Ghana had a lot to learn from Qatar on the best use of oil and gas revenue which he said Qatar had vast experience. Prof. Oquaye made the statement when Mr Mohammed Ahmed Al-Homaid, the Qatar Ambassador to Ghana, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Parliament House.
Prof. Oquaye also welcomed an invitation by the Qatari Ambassador for the leadership of Parliament to attend the International Inter-Parliamentary Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar.
The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1981 through non-resident representation. In March 2018, Qatar posted its resident ambassador to Ghana and in May Ghana's embassy in Doha was opened. The two countries are bound by a set of signed agreements and memoranda of understanding that regulate their relations, including an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of financial evasion in 2007.
Prof. Oquaye lauded Qatar on its plan to pursue peace, development, freedom and human values which were very important for humans to co-exist on the earth. He said Ghana was following keenly with interest Qatar’s achievement in agriculture in trying to be food sufficient.
He said Ghana was very young when it comes to the oil and gas industry and it would, therefore, be useful to learn from countries with best oil revenue management practices. Prof. Oquaye also stated that Ghana would be very glad to have more cooperation with Qatar in other fields of endeavour for the mutual benefit of the two nations.
He said Qatar was one of the peaceful countries in the middle-east whose development should serve as a motivation to others. Mr Mohammed Ahmed Al-Homaid, Qatar’s Ambassador to Ghana, was grateful to the Speaker for the warm reception accorded him.
According to him the current warm relations between the two countries should strengthen further their economic, political and commercial ties.He then officially invited the Speaker to attend the International Inter-Parliamentary Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar.
Mr Ahmed Al-Homaid also stated that the participation of the Speaker in that conference would be well appreciated and to make contributions on their Ghanaian parliamentary system.
He said the Speaker’s association with the conference would help promote peace, development, and human values across the world. Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, on his part called for the streamlining of the documentation of Ghanaians who go to Qatar as domestic workers.He said the government can do more to attract foreign direct investments from Qatar for the economic development of the country.
He expressed the delight to support the Speaker to build closer relations with Qatar for the common benefit of the two countries. Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader, on his part appreciated the meteoric rise of Qatar from a humble beginning, which he said were useful lessons for Ghana and other countries to learn from.
He said Ghana had a lot to learn from Qatar in the management and application of oil and gas resources for the development of the country. He expressed the need for Ghana and Qatar to collaborate in the area of aviation for the benefit of the two nations.