Opinions & Interviews

Ghana president on first visit to Belarus, promise to return in new capacity

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – The visit to Belarus and negotiations at the top level open up a new chapter in relations between the countries. Ghana President John Dramani Mahama made the statement during restricted-attendance negotiations with Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk on 8 June, BelTA has learned.

The foreign leader initially thanked the Belarusian head of state personally and on behalf of the entire delegation for the warm invitation to visit Minsk. He said that he came to Belarus on a private visit in 2024. He was running for presidency in Ghana back then.

“Many years ago I already realized the potential Belarus has for relations with the African continent. Two years ago I visited your country when I was not the president yet. I was stunned by the high level of development of your country, your high level of science and education. And at that moment I swore that if I had won the election and had become the president, I would definitely have come to Belarus on an official visit. And here I am,” John Dramani Mahama said.

He emphasized that nowadays African countries are totally different from what they were in the past, in the days of colonialism. They advance relations with other states, including with Western ones, as equals and on the basis of only their own interests. “We build partnerships. And Belarus is one of those partners for our country,” the Ghana president noted.

Meanwhile, many residents of the African continent still know little about Belarus. And in the huge amount of information that contains a lot of misinformation at times it is very difficult, in his opinion, to see and to learn what a magnificent country Belarus is. This is why upon learning about preparations for the president’s upcoming visit to Minsk, many people in Ghana started wondering what the country is and what Ghana’s interests may be during this visit.

“I am convinced that this visit opens a new chapter in relations between our countries,” John Dramani Mahama stated.

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