CAPE COAST, BONN IN PARTNERSHIP (PAGE 13)

THE Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, yesterday held discussions with the Minister of North-Rhine Westaphalia, Germany, over issues of economic co-operation.
The leader of the delegation and Minister for Inter-generational Affairs, Families, Women and Integration, Mr Armin Laschet, said the meeting followed a partnership agreement on co-operation and expansion of friendly relations.
Mr Laschet said the partnership was based on trust equality and mutual benefits in areas of economic co-operation, energy generation, science education, health care and pharmaceuticals, youth, athletics and culture.
He said even though the partnership was young, valuable structures had emerged.
Mr Laschet said the Ghanaian diasporan community in North Rhine-Westphalia had constituted itself as the Ghana Council, and that many institutions of civil society in North Rhine-Westphalia had joined together to create the Ghana Forum.
He said to strengthen that co-operation further, a joint internet platform was to be launched this year, adding that a partnership office was to be opened in Accra which could serve as an important point of contact.
Mr Laschet said they had also carried out numerous innovative projects in the various key areas, for example, in the fields of solar energy and health care.
He stated that Bonn and Cape Coast had decided to enter into partnership, the first of such in Africa, with the aim of promoting democracy, modernising administration, sustainable tourism and waste management.
Mr Laschet said an exchange programme had also been planned in the science sector, adding that a co-operation programme was currently being organised to benefit the University of Bonn, the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the University of Cape Coast.
Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, for her part, said Cape Coast and Bonn shared a common historical experience as former capitals of their respective countries.
She expressed the hope that the relationship would cover areas especially in tourism and industry for the mutual benefit of the two cities.