The newly appointed High Commissioner of the Republic of Ghana to Mauritius, Mr Charles Asuako Owiredu, met the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, yesterday, in Port-Louis.

In a statement after the meeting, Mr Charles Asuako Owiredu indicated that he discussed with the Foreign Affairs Minister key areas of cooperation between the two countries, along with the need to deepen relations at the bilateral level. "Areas of further collaboration, including tourism and financial services, were also evoked," he informed.

He pointed out that Mauritius and Ghana signed several agreements in the past, including the avoidance of double taxation, which he said, both parties should ensure that they were being implemented.

Furthermore, at the multilateral level, he expressed gratitude to the Government of Mauritius for the support provided to Ghana for the hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat as well as for Ghana's election to the United Nations Security Council.

Concerning the issue of sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, the High Commissioner recalled that Ghana was among the first countries to openly come out to support Mauritius. He renewed the intent of the Government of Ghana to continue backing up Mauritius until the Government took sovereignty of the Islands.

Mr Owiredu also pledged, as the new High Commissioner of Ghana to Mauritius, to step up efforts to make sure that the gaps between the two countries were bridged.