The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has held a bilateral meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister, Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs to deepen cooperation between the two countries on Monday in Accra.

The meeting sought to enhance relations on issues of mutual interest in the areas of ICT, education, health, security, food security and agriculture among others for the benefit of the two countries.

Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed his government's readiness to deepen economic relations in areas of education, technology, security, food security, and agriculture.

He disclosed that despite the recent global challenges, there was a marked 25% growth in Ghana-Latvia trade relations in 2020.

"I hope that the scope of cooperation could be further expanded," he added.

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey expressed the hope that the forum would deepen the two countries' fast-growing economic relations.

She further encouraged the Latvian business delegation to explore investment opportunities in Ghana and forge partnerships with their Ghanaian counterparts for accelerated economic trade relations, leveraging on the reach of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which offers a single continental market for goods and services.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Mr. Mike Oquaye Jnr, urged the business delegation to explore investment opportunities in the Ghana Free Zones enclaves such as business process outsourcing, call centers, hardware, ICT infrastructure development, data processing, software development, research and development and incubation centers.

The visit by Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs is a follow-up to Ghana's Foreign Minister's visit to Latvia in 2018 which rekindled economic relations between the two countries.

A business forum was also organized as part of the activities for the official visit.