Rarotonga, Cook Islands - Ghana's Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, is currently in the Cook Islands to attend the Pacific Islands Forum as a special guest. The Forum, held in Rarotonga, the capital of the Cook Islands, gathers leaders from 18 member countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga.
According to Ghana News Agency, during her visit, Ayorkor Botchwey signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Ghana's behalf, establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands. The MoU was co-signed by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who also chairs the Pacific Islands Forum. This agreement marks Ghana as the second African nation, following South Africa, to formalize diplomatic ties with the Cook Islands.
During her stay, Ayorkor Botchwey engaged in several high-level meetings with Pacific regional leaders. Discussions spanned various topics, including the critical issue of climate change, a significant threat to both small island nations and Africa. She also held talks with Pat Conroy, the Australian Minister for International Development, focusing on enhancing the Commonwealth's impact on its member countries. A notable meeting with Fiji's Prime Minister, Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka, emphasized the importance of making the Commonwealth relevant at both the public and governmental levels. Rabuka, recalling his time as a UN peacekeeper under the late General Emmanuel Erskine, noted the shared history of Ghana and Fiji as former British colonies and their ongoing contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts, expressing a desire to build a common future.