Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago sign agreements on oil and gas

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Christopher Rowley, arrived in Ghana on Sunday night for a four-day official state visit.

Rowley, who was accompanied by government officials and chairmen of the Trinidad Oil and Gas companies, told journalists the time had come for Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago to co-operate for their mutual benefits.

He said Trinidad and Tobago had gained expertise in areas such as energy and education and urged Ghana to expand into those areas.

"When the two nations co-operate, they can handle these development initiatives effectively," he said.

Later at the Flagstaff House in Accra on Monday, Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago signed two agreements on general cooperation and oil and gas.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama and his visiting Trinidadian counterpart.

Ghana is seeking to establish further relations with Trinidad and Tobago which has more than 100 years' experience in the areas of petrochemicals.

President Mahama said with the country's nascent oil sector, it was prudent that it took experiences from oil rich countries like Trinidad and Tobago to guide the resource.

Prime Minister Rowley is expected to tour the Tema Oil Refinery and VALCO, an aluminium smelter plant in the port city of Tema, 38 km east of the capital, during his visit.

He will also lay a wreath on the tomb of George Padmore, a Trinidadian Pan-African journalist and close ally of Ghana's First President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who died in Ghana after residing here for many years.

Ghana's relations with Trinidad and Tobago date as far back as the post-colonial era.

The last time a Prime Minister from Trinidad and Tobago visited Ghana was in 1960. Endit