Noticias del Gobierno de Canarias: Participación en presentación del Programa INTERREG MAC 2021-2027 en Ghana

· The Director General of Relations with Africa participated this Tuesday in the presentation of the INTERREG MAC 2021-2027 Program in Acra

· Padilla points out that the integration of Ghana into the European program will allow working with the African country in areas such as sustainability or innovation

The Government of the Canary Islands participated this Tuesday in the official presentation of the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Program in Ghana, a historic event that marks the first inclusion of this African country in the European territorial cooperation program. The Canarian delegation was led by the Director General of Relations with Africa, Luis Padilla, along with the Director General of European Affairs and authority for the management of INTERREG MAC, Celia Alberto.

Padilla emphasized during the project presentation at the official event «the firm commitment of the Canary Islands to strengthening the strategic ties between Europe and West Africa.»

The presentation took place in the capital of Ghana and also featured the participation of high-level authorities from Ghana, Spain, and the European Union, within the framework of the ATLANTE governance axis, which leads the institutional coordination of the INTERREG MAC program.

Luis Padilla stressed that «Ghana’s entry into MAC represents a great opportunity to intensify cooperation in key areas such as sustainability, innovation, and shared economic development. From the Canary Islands, we will continue to promote an inclusive vision that positions West Africa as a priority and strategic partner for Europe.»

During the day, the scope of the new program period was presented, with a budget of nearly 200 million euros (co-financed at 85% by the ERDF) and in which Ghana participates in 20 of the 34 projects selected in the first call, consolidating itself as one of the African countries with the highest involvement, second only to Cape Verde.

Among the projects involving Ghana are initiatives on aquaculture innovation, SME digitization, circular economy, climate change adaptation, and marine biodiversity conservation, all aligned with the priorities of the MAC program: smart growth, green transition, mobility, and governance.

The intervention of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Directorate General of Relations with Africa and the Directorate General of European Affairs, reinforces its role as an institutional, economic, and cultural bridge between Europe and Africa, consolidating the Canarian leadership in the execution and coordination of territorial cooperation programs.

In addition to Luis Padilla, speakers at the event included Timothy Dolan, Head of Section of the EU Delegation in Ghana; Ebenezer Nortey, responsible for relations with Europe and America at the Ministry of Finance of Ghana; and the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Ángel Lossada, as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University of La Laguna (ULL), Imaculada González.

The Government of the Canary Islands celebrates this step as «a key milestone towards a more equitable, participatory, and development-focused cooperation model for the Macaronesian region and West Africa,» said Padilla.