Dr Thomas Oertle is new Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin and Togo

Dr Thomas Oertle has been appointed as the new Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin, and Togo. He brings a wealth of diplomatic and international cooperation experience to the role. His appointment follows the completion of Ms Simone Giger's four-year tenure as Switzerland's former Ambassador to Ghana, during which time cooperation had strengthened in various areas, including governance, trade, investment, climate action, peace and security, and sustainable development.

The Embassy of Switzerland in Accra announced that Dr Oertle's appointment is part of Switzerland's continued commitment to bolstering its long-standing partnerships with Ghana, Benin, and Togo. In his new role, Dr Oertle aims to deepen dialogue and engagement with stakeholders across various sectors, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy in bringing people and ideas together to pursue shared interests.

Switzerland has a long history of diverse relations with the three countries, covering political dialogue, trade, investment, economic cooperation, climate action, peace and security, and growing exchanges between people and institutions. Notably, over 55 Swiss enterprises operate in Ghana, contributing to economic growth in various sectors, such as agribusiness, manufacturing, and logistics, and employing more than 8,500 people.

Dr Oertle's new assignment comes at a time when Ghana-Switzerland relations are characterized by a broad range of development and economic interests. His appointment reflects Switzerland's ongoing commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnerships with Ghana, Benin, and Togo while identifying new areas of common interest between Switzerland and its West African partners.