Your Excellency, President John Evans Atta Mills and Mrs Mills
Honourable Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe
Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly
Honourable Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces
Honourable Ministers, Deputy Ministers
Leaders of political parties
Excellencies High Commissioners
Distinguished guests
We are truly delighted and honoured to welcome you to our country, Your Excellency and Mrs Mills as well as your distinguished delegation.
This is a historic occasion for us because it is your first State Visit to South Africa.
We trust that the warmth of the South African people is making up for the depressingly cold weather!
Your state visit fills us with inspiration, as we remember what Ghana has given to Africa in terms of African intellectual thought and leadership.
Ghana has been a symbol of our Pan-African effort to reclaim our culture and standing in the history of humanity.
We remain motivated by the vision of Dr Kwame Nkrumah whose convictions were underpinned by an ambition of self determination for Ghana and thecontinent at large.
Ghana was a microcosm of Dr Nkrumah's vision for the entire continent. He was firm in his conviction that Ghana's independence would be meaningless, unless it was linked with the total liberation of the continent.
He looked beyond Ghana and advocated for a Continental Union Government for Africa as the only means by which each African country could survive.
The "Grand Debate on the Union Government" of the African Union Summit that your country hosted in 2007 during the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence, is one of the many legacies that Dr Nkrumah bequeathed to this continent.
We welcome your visit against that background Your Excellency, inspired by your country, its founding fathers and its people.
My dear brother, the foundations of your state visit to South Africa have been laid by the work done by the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation through which our relationship is structured.
The commission has made our work more focused on dealing with the common socio-economic challenges we face.
These include unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
Agreements signed during this visit will help open new avenues of cooperation, for the betterment of our people.
Your Excellency,
Distinguished guests,
We welcome the visible progress made in economic relations. In particular, we thank you for creating an enabling environment for our private sector to invest in Ghana.
South African companies invest in Ghana primarily in the areas of telecommunications, financial services and hospitality and retail industries.
I warmly invite Ghanaian companies to explore investment opportunities and joint ventures in South Africa.
South Africa and Ghana have also been at the forefront of addressing thechallenge of peace and security on the continent.
The events in recent months in Cote d'Ivoire and Libya are but two examples, where both our countries supported the initiatives of the African Union.
We remain convinced that the problems of Libya must be resolved by the people of Libya in a Libyan-led and African led solution.
We look forward to the meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa this Friday, which will guide us on the way forward. Your Excellency, Let me congratulate you, my brother, for the confidence displayed by the elective conference of the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress, in your leadership, as you chart the course towards a "Better Ghana Agenda" for all the citizens of the Republic of Ghana.
We wish you all the best during the elections next year.
Your Excellency, I cannot conclude without congratulating Ghana for taking the last stand for Africa during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup event. The Black Stars of Ghana really made us proud.
They contributed immensely to the vibrancy of the colourful tournament and provided wonderful role models for our young people.
Your Excellency and Mrs Mills, I wish to thank you for honouring our invitation to South Africa.
I trust that you will find the visit to Robben Island tomorrow meaningful.
The island is the most powerful symbol of our triumph over adversity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
May I request you to please rise and join me in a toast to the good health and prosperity of His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, and to the friendship and partnership between the peoples of the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of South Africa.
To friendship!!
I thank you.
Source: Sapa
