The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana yesterday to Spain, to attend the “Focus Africa 2023” conference, to be held in Madrid.
President Akufo-Addo, who was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry, is expected to return tomorrow.
In his absence, the Vice-President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
President’s travels
This is the second time in the year that the President has embarked on a foreign trip since being sworn in for his second term.
The first was on March 16, when he led a delegation to Abidjan to attend the burial and funeral of the Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Hamed Bakayoko.
Several African leaders and officials are also attending the conference either as resource persons or as participants.
They include the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Vera Songwe; the Minister of Trade and Industry of Kenya, Betty Maina; the Senior Minister and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Arkebe Oqubay, as well as the President of CEOE International, Marta Blanco, all of whom will be speakers during the first discussion.
For the second discussion, Senegal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Senegalese Abroad, Aïssata Sall Tall, the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Vice-President of the African Union Commission, Monique Nsanzabaganwa; the President of the Women for Africa Foundation and Counsellor of the Spanish State Council, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, will be the main speakers on the forum dedicated to women empowerment which will be moderated by Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González.
