The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has inaugurated an 11-member Management Committee of the Parliamentary Friendship Associations.
This was on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at the Justice D.F. Annan Auditorium, of the Job 600 in Parliament.
The Management Committee is tasked to oversee and manage the formation, operation and functioning of Parliamentary Friendship Associations.
The Associations are cross-party associations of legislators established to promote continued dialogue with Members of other Legislatures.
These associations, once established, enter into bilateral or multilateral relations with their counterparts in other Legislatures, and collaborate for their mutual benefits.
The Associations may establish and pursue contacts with counterparts in other Parliaments through periodic exchange of visits and holding of joint cultural events.
Others include educational programmes, participation in activities to celebrate important events undertaken by the Diplomatic Missions of the counterpart countries.
Members of the Management Committee are Alexander Afenyo-Markin, James Klutse Avedzi, Lydia Alhassan and Ahmed Ibrahim.
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The rest are Bryan Acheampong, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, O. B. Amoah, Dr Emmanuel Marfo and Richard Acheampong.
Mr Acheampong is the Secretary to Committee and assisted by Anthonia-Gloria French-Okine.
The event, which was under the theme ‘Strengthening Parliamentary Diplomacy; the Quest for Legislative Excellence, ‘was well attended by some Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Clerk and staff of Parliament.
The two Leaders of the House spoke about the benefits of bi and multilateral relations.
They further emphasised how people to people diplomacy facilitated by the association was in the interest of the nation.
The Speaker did a trajectory of the history of the association and its benefits and pledged his support for the Association and tasked the Committee to add more females to the group.