President John Mahama says the time is ripe for Ghana and Russia to move beyond political ties and deepen economic cooperation.
He said this during a bilateral engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit on October 30.
President Mahama said the summit would be pivotal in strengthening ties between Africa and Russia.
“This summit will deepen the relations and economic cooperation between Africa and Russia. And I believe that the summit will promote cooperation in trade, investments, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, education, health, science and technology,” he said.
President Mahama commended Russia’s historic solidarity with Africa, recalling its support during decolonization and the fight against apartheid.
“We want to commend Russia’s solidarity with Africa during the period of decolonization. Russia was by Africa’s side in the fight against apartheid. Russia was a solid supporter in getting us out of apartheid,” he said.
He also pointed to recent cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Apart from that, recently when the COVID pandemic struck, the first vaccines that we received in Africa were the Sputnik V vaccines from Russia. And it just shows that Russia is always in solidarity with Africa and we appreciate that,” President Mahama noted.
Highlighting the long-standing relations between Ghana and Russia, President Mahama recalled Ghana’s position as the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence and Russia’s early recognition of the new nation.
“In Ghana, we have historic relations with Russia because Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to break from colonialism. And as early as 1958, Russia recognized Ghana and established diplomatic relations. In 1961, our first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, visited Russia and met with Nikita Khrushchev. It was a historic visit, the first African leader. And since then, our relations have grown from strength to strength,” he said.
President Mahama said Ghana, now the eighth largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $120 billion and a stable growth rate of about 6 percent per annum, is well-positioned for mutual investment.
“Today, Ghana is the eighth largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about 120 billion, with a stable economic environment and growing at a growth rate of about 6% per annum. We believe that the time has come for us to move from just political cooperation to economic cooperation. And the environment is right for us to have mutual investments between Russia and Ghana,” he stressed.
He disclosed that both countries will hold the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation meeting next year to provide a structured framework for collaboration.
“We are going to hold the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation meeting next year, in 2027, and we’re hoping that that will provide us with a proper framework for our cooperation going forward,” President Mahama said.
