Ghana, Israeli Parliaments Deepen Ties

Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho has called for the deepening of collaboration between Ghana and Israel in various fields of endeavor. He made the call when he inaugurated the Ghana-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association at Parliament House in Accra. Mr Adjaho noted globalization demanded that parliamentary diplomacy should be vigorously pursued as a way of strengthening Ghana�s Parliamentary democracy through the sharing of experiences with well established Parliaments like that of Israel. The Ghana-Israel Friendship Association is the first to be endorsed by Parliament. The Association aims to foster links between Ghana�s Parliament and the Israeli Knesset, as part of diplomatic activities to enhance bilateral ties between both countries. Speaker Adjaho told the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Sharon Bar-Li that he would lend support to the strengthening of the Association. He advised members of the Ghanaian branch of the Association to put structures in place to ensure the sustenance of the friendship between the sister institutions, advocating for a strong secretariat that would transcend current members. Ambassador Bar-Li on her part said that Ghana�s Parliament was �an esteemed House� that was a symbol of democracy and the superiority of the rule of law and a source of pride and confidence for Ghanaians. She said the establishment of the Friendship Association was a manifestation of the excellent ties and cordial bilateral relations that had existed between both countries, adding that the move will further reinforce dealings between the two legislative institutions. Ambassador Bar-Li noted that legislators carried great weight on their shoulders since the citizenry expected so much from them and that the establishment of the Association was a conveyance of a strong message of peace, friendship, dialogue and acceptance. The chairman of the Association and MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Bedzrah said collaborations between the two countries had been mainly at the executive level, usually focusing on economic and technical issues. He added, however, that the formation of the Association at the legislative level would bring both parliaments closer in order to share best experiences in the area of legislation and general parliamentary practices.