President John Mahama has described the visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as more than a partner.
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany arrived in the country on Sunday evening for a three-day state visit.
He was met on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the German Ambassador to Ghana Mr Frederik Landshöft.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with his guest on Monday, November 03, 2025, at the Presidency in Accra, President Mahama said, “In President Steinmeier, Ghana has found not just a partner, but a friend who recognizes that Africa’s development is crucial to global peace and prosperity, and that genuine partnership must be based on equality, mutual respect, and shared benefits. On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend our heartfelt appreciation.”
Read President Mahama’s full speech below:
I reaffirm Ghana’s strong dedication to creating an enabling environment to attract more German private sector investments, particularly within the framework of the African continental free trade area, which is headquartered here in Accra.
The African Continental Free Trade Area offers unparalleled opportunities for German and other businesses to enter a market of over 1.3 billion population across the continent, with Ghana positioned as the strategic gateway and partner.
Our discussions also focused on Germany’s forward-looking Africa strategy under the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, which prioritizes sustainability, decent employment, gender equality, climate resilience, and peace and security.
We’ve identified specific opportunities for stronger collaboration in renewable energy, green industrialization, digital transformation, and skills development. These sectors are crucial to Ghana’s future and they align with global sustainability objectives.
I especially welcome the ongoing cooperative cooperation between Ghana’s Ministry of Labour,
Both sides expressed optimism about the upcoming agreement on labour mobility, which will enable safe, respectful, and well-structured employment opportunities for young Ghanaian professionals in Germany, while addressing skills shortages in key German sectors.
Ladies and gentlemen, on regional and international topics, President Steinmeier and I had open and constructive discussions on peace and security in West Africa, particularly regarding the growing threats of terrorism, violent extremism, and political instability in the Sahel region.
I briefed the President on Ghana’s proactive diplomatic engagement to foster dialogue and rebuild trust and strengthen cooperation amongst our neighbours, including my recent appointment of a special envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States to promote regional stability, cohesion, and integration. I wish to commend Germany’s steadfast and principled support for regional peace and development in our sub-region. We also reviewed our strong cooperation in international peacekeeping.
Ghana sincerely appreciates Germany’s leadership in hosting the 2025 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, which promoted key reforms in global peacekeeping operations.
Ghana, which had the honour of hosting the 2023 edition in Accra, looks forward to further collaboration to build institutional capacities, conduct joint training exercises, and leverage technology and innovation to address the emerging threats, including cyber, insecurity, and climate-related conflicts.
Ghana is deeply concerned about recent actions that jeopardize the rule-based international order, especially the global trade system that has supported decades of prosperity and development around the world.
The dismantling of established multilateral frameworks and the rise of unilateral protectionism threaten to plunge the world into economic instability, greater inequality, and conflict.
I invite Germany to share Ghana’s strong commitment to multilateralism, the United Nations system, the World Trade Organization, and international law. We urge all nations to resist the lure of economic nationalism and to collaborate in reforming, not dismantling, the institutions that unite us as a globe.
The challenges of our era – climate change, pandemics, terrorism, migration and poverty – cannot be tackled by any one nation alone. They require our collective action, dialogue, and compromises. Regarding Africa’s representation in global governance, Ghana continues its long-standing and legitimate demand for Africa’s permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Africa, with 54 countries and over 1.4 billion people, remains the only inhabited continent in this world without a permanent representation on the world’s most influential decision-making body. This historical injustice must be corrected. The African Union’s Ezulwini Consensus and the CERD declaration clearly express Africa’s stance.
The continent demands at least two permanent seats, with veto power, along with additional non-permanent seats. Germany has consistently supported UN Security Council reform and Africa’s rightful place at their table. I wish to commend President Steinmeier and the German government for this principled stand, and Ghana calls on all nations to move beyond rhetoric and take action to make the Security Council more representative, democratic, and legitimate.
Ladies and gentlemen, the visit of President Steinmeier has been substantive and deeply symbolic. It reaffirms our shared aspirations for a renewed and elevated partnership between our countries. This is not just a partnership of governments, but increasingly one involving our private sector, civil society groups, youth researchers, and cultural institutions.
The obstacles we face are significant, but so is our resolve and determination. In President Steinmeier, Ghana has found not just a partner, but a friend who recognizes that Africa’s development is crucial to global peace and prosperity, and that genuine partnership must be based on equality, mutual respect, and shared benefits. On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend our heartfelt appreciation.
