Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ghana’s President John Mahama on Wednesday. During their meeting, both leaders decided to make their countries’ friendship stronger by upgrading it to a Comprehensive Partnership. This means India and Ghana will now work closely in many important areas.

PM Modi said there is great scope to work together in fields like critical minerals, defence, maritime security, and energy. He also said that both countries want to increase cultural ties and people-to-people connections.

India and Ghana signed four important agreements to improve their partnership. These agreements are called MoUs. They were signed after both leaders and their teams held talks in Accra, Ghana.

The first MoU is to set up a Joint Commission Meeting. This will help officials from both countries meet regularly and discuss their plans.

The second MoU is on traditional medicine. Experts from India and Ghana will now train each other in Ayurveda and other traditional treatments to help people stay healthy using natural ways.

The third MoU is for cultural exchange. This will promote cooperation in art, music, dance, literature, and heritage. It will help people of both countries learn about each other’s culture and encourage tourism.

The fourth MoU is on standardisation. It was signed between India’s Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority. It will help both countries make better standards for products and services.

PM Modi said trade between India and Ghana is growing. Indian companies have already invested nearly two billion dollars in about 900 projects in Ghana. Both leaders set a target to double their trade in the next five years.

Modi also said India is ready to share its experience in digital payments, like UPI, with Ghana. Indian companies will also help Ghana in mining and exploring critical minerals.

Both leaders agreed that terrorism is a big enemy of humanity. They decided to work more closely to fight terrorism together. In defence and security, India will help Ghana with training for armed forces, defence supplies, maritime security, and cybersecurity.

They also discussed problems in West Asia and Europe and said that peace should be achieved through talks and diplomacy.

President Mahama asked for India’s help in agriculture. He wants Ghana to become a food basket and ensure food security for its people. PM Modi agreed to support Ghana in this goal.

Another big topic was making Ghana a hub for vaccines. President Mahama wants Indian companies to set up manufacturing units for medicines and vaccines in Ghana. He believes this will help his country produce its own vaccines and improve healthcare for the people.

This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over thirty years. It is expected to make the bond between India and Ghana much stronger and show India’s commitment to working with African countries and the Global South.