China, Ghana celebrate 61st anniversary of friendship treaty

Members of the Ghana-China Friendship Association and Chinese community in Ghana pose for a group photo in Accra, Ghana, on Aug. 18, 2022. The Chinese community and their Ghanaian counterparts late Thursday celebrated the 61st anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between China and Ghana. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

ACCRA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community and their Ghanaian counterparts late Thursday celebrated the 61st anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between China and Ghana.

The celebration, organized by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA), was also used to honor Ghana's first ambassador to China and founder of GHACHIFA Kojo Amoo-Gottfried.

Chinese ambassador to Ghana Lu Kun said in his keynote message that the relations between the two countries have grown rapidly, with China providing development assistance to Ghana as Ghana continued to support China on the global stage.

Lu lauded the role of GHACHIFA in deepening the time-honored friendship and fostering genuine and dynamic people-to-people diplomacy and cultural relations between the two countries.

"Long distance separates no bosom friends. Even though China and Ghana are geographically far apart, our longstanding friendship, rooted in shared historical experiences and practical cooperation, has stood the test of time and will surely keep flourishing in the years ahead," added the Chinese ambassador.

McArios Akanbeanab Akanbong, the director of the Legal and Treaties Bureau of Ghana's Foreign Ministry, said China is a dependable friend of Ghana. "And because we want to go far, we will continue to walk with China," he said.

During the celebration, GHACHIFA presented a citation to Amoo-Gottfried for establishing the association in 2000 and his contributions to the friendly relations between China and Ghana.