The President is viewing her State Visit to Ghana this week in the spirit of exploring engagement with part of the world with which Malta has had very little contact. Ghana is fast becoming a regional hub for opportunities in other West African markets, in the same way that Malta is being seen as a gateway to the wider Mediterranean and as a bridge to Europe. “Malta is well-known and well-regarded in the North African region, thanks to significant trade and cultural engagement over a long period of time between Malta and our Mediterranean neighbours to the south,” President Coleiro Preca said. “Yet, our historical engagement with sub-Saharan Africa has been less pronounced.

Supporting CARIFORUM firms to leverage the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is at the forefront of the Caribbean Export Development Agency’s work programme as they implement the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union. Over 70 business and Business Support Organisations participated in the specially held workshop at the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association’s (TTMA) Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) on Friday 7th July and a further 90 persons were able to participate via the live streaming.

The European long-distance fleet, grouped in Europêche, has expressed the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of DG Mare, Karmenu Vella, the importance of fisheries agreements with third countries for this fleet and has requested diplomatic support at the highest level to renew the agreement with Guinea-Bissau on fair terms. To renew the agreement with Guinea-Bissau, which ends on November 23, and after the failure of the fourth round of negotiations, Europêche considers it necessary to make the president of the country, José Mario Vaz, understand that its demands are disproportionate and that the renewal would imply a loss for both parties.

Zimbabwe will not be exporting beef anytime soon because of regular outbreaks of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease and government does not have resources to eliminate the disease, according to deputy Agriculture Minister Paddy Zhanda. The southern African nation has experienced regular outbreaks of FMD — a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals — in recent times in cattle-rich regions of Matabeleland and Midlands, which killed hundreds of cattle in those regions over the past four years, The Insider reports. “Zimbabwe will not export for the meantime because of foot-and-mouth and we don’t have resources to deal with.

The Minister of State in charge of Agriculture, Dr. Nurah Gyiele has expressed fear that Ghana may not meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. He stated that efforts should be made to increase support in the agricultural sector to meet to the SDG. Speaking at the launch of Market Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP) in Wa in the Upper West Region, the Minister noted that 11 out of the 17 development goals have a direct link with the Agriculture sector.The SDGs are development goals adopted in New York in 2015 which focuses on accelerating Africa’s transformation. It embraces the need for economic development that leaves no one behind and gives everyone a fair chance of leading a decent life.