Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mavis Nkansah Boadu, has applauded the establishment of a Chinese Visa Application Center in Ghana.
She hailed the opening of the visa centre as a testament to the commitment to enhance services and facilitate smoother travel for those aspiring to visit China.
“The opening of the Chinese Visa Application Center in Ghana underscores our commitment to providing enhanced services and facilitating smoother travel for all those who seek to visit China. We have recognized the importance of strengthening our relationship with China and fostering greater people-to-people exchanges between our nations,” she stated.
Speaking on behalf of Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, August 10, Mavis Boadu emphasized the event’s importance as a milestone in bilateral relations between Ghana and China.
The Deputy Minister underscored the centre’s potential to boost tourism, expedite business ventures, foster academic collaborations, and encourage cultural exchanges between the two nations.
She emphasized the centre’s role in streamlining the visa application process, ensuring greater efficiency and convenience for Ghanaian citizens and other residents of Ghana intending to travel to China.
In his address, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Ambassador Lu Kun, highlighted the remarkable progress of China-Ghana bilateral relations, guided by the leadership of President’s Xi Jinping and Nana Akufo-Addo.
He praised the mutual trust and close cooperation in various sectors, especially the thriving economic and trade exchanges that have solidified China’s position as Ghana’s leading trading partner and foreign investment source.
Ambassador Lu Kun revealed that the bilateral trade volume in 2022 reached approximately US$10.27 billion, marking a substantial increase compared to previous years.
He acknowledged the vital role played by pragmatic cooperation and frequent exchanges between the two nations, which have laid a robust foundation for the development of China-Ghana relations.
He also highlighted the impact of China’s adjusted COVID-19 policies earlier in the year, resulting in a surge of visa applicants, particularly for trade and business-related purposes.
Ambassador Lu Kun emphasized the Visa Application Center’s aim to provide enhanced services, ensuring convenience, quality, and efficiency. He expressed confidence in the centre’s contribution to strengthening personnel exchanges and the overall relationship between the two nations.
He underscored the significance of fostering connections between people as a cornerstone of international relations, highlighting the pivotal role the Visa Application Center would play in achieving this objective.