ACCRA: 2nd India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations

ACCRA: ​The 2nd India-Ghana Foreign
Office Consultations (FOC) were held on 2nd July 2021 in Accra. Mr. Rahul
Chhabra, Secretary (ER) from Indian side and Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Ghanaian side co-chaired the Meeting.

Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral,
regional and international issues of mutual interest. The co-chairs took stock
of exchange of bilateral visits, holding of Joint Commission Meeting, bilateral
trade & investment, development partnership, capacity building, defence
cooperation, security related issues, people to people linkages, pending MoUs,
regional, and global issues. Both sides agreed to take steps to enhance the
depth and momentum of engagement which would be to mutual benefit. Both sides
noted with appreciation their cooperation on Covid-19 related issues, including
donation of 50,000 Covid Vaccines by India to Ghana as a gesture of friendship
& solidarity and 6,00,000 Covishield made-in-India vaccines under COVAX
initiative.

Ghana noted with appreciation the visit of Hon’ble Minister of State for
External Affairs, Mr. V. Muraleedharan from 6-7 January 2021 to attend the
inauguration of President Akufo-Addo for his second term as President of the Republic
of Ghana.

​Relations between India and Ghana are traditionally warm and friendly and
these relations are further gaining momentum with frequent high level visits
and interactions from both sides. Bilateral trade has been growing at a healthy
rate and recorded about US$ 4.5 billion in 2018-19 though in 2019-20 trade has
declined to US$ 2.4 billion on account of low import of gold by India. India
has extended developmental assistance to Ghana worth over US$ 500 million under
Lines of Credit and additional amount of US$ 500 million under Buyers Credit
for various projects, including the iconic Presidential palace, Tema-Mpakadan
railway line and India-Ghana Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICT. India
also continues to extend capacity building support to Ghana with scholarships
for University education, Fellowships for research and skill and human resource
development under ITEC including e-VBAB.

An MOU for Cooperation between India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy
Partnership (GCNEP) and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to facilitate
human resource development and capacity building for further developing and
strengthening the technical capabilities of the GAEC. The MOU was signed by Mr.
Rahul Chhabra, Secretary(ER) from Indian side and Prof. B.J.B. Nyarko, Director
General of GAEC from the Ghanaian side.

During the visit, Secretary (ER) also called on H.E. Ms. Shirley Ayorkor
Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana. While
briefing about the fruitful discussions held in the FOC, he apprised her the
progress made in the bilateral relations since the last FOC held in 2019.
Minister expressed her satisfaction about the state of bilateral relations and
thanked for the support extended by India from time to time on various issues
including the Covid-19 pandemic.

The talks were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. Both sides agreed to
hold the next consultations at New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.