Opinions & Interviews

Belarus’ FM: Ghana president’s visit is key step in shaping future relations

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) - The official visit  by President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana to Belarus is a crucial element in shaping the future paradigm of bilateral relations, Belarusian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov told journalists, BelTA has learned.

The minister emphasized that Ghana’s current leader has a very positive attitude toward Belarus and had visited the country before assuming the presidency. “He recalls that trip with great warmth. He also has good contacts with some representatives of our country’s business community,” Maxim Ryzhenkov said.

He noted that all conditions aligned for the current visit: political will at the highest level and a solid foundation of ideas and projects. Recently, the Belarusian foreign affairs minister has also visited Ghana, where he has met with the country’s leader. “We met, once again confirmed our mutual interest, and refined several draft agreements. Today we have reached the stage of the president of Ghana’s visit to Belarus. We view it as a key element in shaping the entire future paradigm of relations,” the minister said.

Maxim Ryzhenkov also outlined the main growth areas for bilateral cooperation. One of them is the mechanization of Ghana’s agriculture, similar to the work Belarus is carrying out in other African countries: Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Togo.

“The next topic is not only mechanization but also assistance in preserving the harvested crops, processing them into various products, and supplying food products from Belarus,” the minister noted. “The most important topic today is helping Ghana ensure food security, and further, through Ghana, one of the largest countries in this region of Africa, expanding access to the markets of neighboring states.”

There are also prospects for cooperation in education and healthcare. “We consider education one of the promising areas. Currently, around 80 students from Ghana are studying in Belarus. We plan to significantly increase this number, primarily in engineering and medical specialties. In healthcare, we also have several interesting ideas,” Maxim Ryzhenkov said.

He also highlighted the positive development of political cooperation with Ghana. For example, Belarus has recently provided significant support in the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the slave trade as a crime against humanity.

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