Dear visitors,

On September 1st, 2021, I arrived in Ghana. This was an exciting day for me, as Ghana had always captured my imagination. The names of Kwame Nkrumah and other great African leaders still resonate back from my student years. From my previous job as head of West Africa in the European Union, my interest in Ghana only grew over the years. 

Coming back to the continent is also a fairly emotional endeavour to me. I was born and I grew up in Madagascar where I spent my childhood and studied law. I left to study international relations in France (at the Sorbonne) and joined the French diplomatic service. My first overseas assignment was in South Africa. After that, I have been working in Brussels, and eventually joined the European Union again with a professional emphasis on Africa. 

What will I focus on here in the coming years? Together with my team and my colleagues of the European Member States (Team Europe) we will promote: 

• Regional peace, security, and democracy.
• Green Growth.
• Smart Cities. 

Not only does Ghana have an impressive track record on democracy and stability but it is also actively promoting these values in the region, especially under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo as chair of ECOWAS. I am also very content Accra hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat, making Ghana an economic hub for the continent. As we know from our own experience, well-managed free trade between nations in a region profits all. 

As Ghana's largest development partner, Team Europe is proud to see that its contribution has an impact on the daily lives of the Ghanaian people. Importantly, the EU is contributing to Ghana’s efforts to get its population vaccinated by providing a significant number of vaccines under the COVAX mechanism. 

The daunting duty to leave the planet cleaner and greener for the next generation is a clear-shared interest. Undeniably, the Paris Climate Agreement is of paramount importance to the European Union and the African Union alike. The #GreenDeal will be very central in our partnership program with Ghana for the coming years. We endeavour the promotion of future-proof jobs, reduction of waste, promotion of sustainable consumption, and production of innovative products and services, more friendly to the environment. 

I hope you stay informed of what the EU is doing in Ghana in real-time by visiting our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also follow me on Twitter: @IrchadR. 

Hope to see you soon! 

Irchad Razaaly, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Ghana.