Russia-Ghana Seek To Strengthen Political And Economic Ties – OpEd

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The Russian Federation has pledged to support the political dialogue and co-operate on various economic and investment projects in efforts to strengthen relations with the Republic of Ghana. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said on its official website that both countries, through collective and persistent ways, would make noticeable contributions in raising their current relations to an appreciable level.

These were contained in an official press release on the exchange of congratulatory messages between Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on the 60th anniversary of Russia-Ghana diplomatic relations.

The two diplomats emphasized the traditionally friendly nature of Russia-Ghana relations, spoke in favor of an active political dialogue on key international and African affairs, as well as agreed to improve mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy, trade and culture as well as other areas, according to the release.

In an earlier interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA), Ms. Ayorkor Botchwey explained that “Ghana and Russia have an excellent diplomatic relations, which has been developed over the years, precisely 60 years. Although, for a relationship lasting this long, one would have expected it to move past where it is now, but there is still room for improvement.”

She further pointed out that Ghana is open to all the support that it could get from its friends and development partners in the nation-building drive, particularly in the nation-wide industrialization program of “One-District, One-Factory” of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. Ghana could benefit a lot from the rich experiences of Russia, which has advanced knowledge, in the area of industrialization.

“The message to Russian investors is that Ghana is the gateway to West Africa and, therefore, the right place to invest in West Africa and Africa as a whole,” Ms. Ayorkor Botchwey said in the interview.

With solid political stability and security, together with the very attractive investment package and easy accessibility to the entire West Africa market, not to mention the legendary Ghanaian hospitality, investing in Ghana is worthwhile and extremely profitable to all foreign investors. Thus, Russian investors should seize the opportunity to invest in Ghana for it is the right time and the right place to be in Africa.

Ms. Ayorkor Botchwey said that “Ghana has one of the most attractive investment packages for foreign investors in Africa. Opportunities abound in nearly all the sectors of the Ghanaian economy, for instance in transportation, construction, real estate, banking, health, education, manufacturing, energy, agriculture and commerce, for every kind of foreign investor and on any scale, being large, medium or small.”

From his academic research, Professor Leonid Fituni, Deputy Director of the Institute for African Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence, on 6th March, 1957. And it was the first sub-Saharan African country, liberated from the colonial yoke. The Soviet Union supported liberation of many countries of the continent from colonial rule and provided practical assistance in establishing their statehood.

It was in those times that prerequisites were created for developing Russia-Ghana diplomatic relations based on friendship, trust, mutual respect and taking account of each other’s interests. During the previous decades, Soviet authorities managed to achieve important results in various fields in those African countries including Ghana.

Thus, Russia and Ghana support the traditionally friendly bilateral relations, cooperate in the foreign policy arena, conduct regular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries, their positions on many international issues are close, according to Professor Fituni.

Sixty years ago on 6th March, 1957, Ghana attained its independence from Great Britain, and one year later, established a formal diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. In theory, Russia has since then and largely considered Ghana as one of its important partners in Africa, south of Sahara.

Kester Kenn Klomegah

Kester Kenn Klomegah is an independent researcher and a policy consultant on African affairs in the Russian Federation and Eurasian Union. He has won media awards for highlighting economic diplomacy in the region with Africa. Currently, Klomegah is a Special Representative for Africa on the Board of the Russian Trade and Economic Development Council. He enjoys travelling and visiting historical places in Eastern and Central Europe. Klomegah is a frequent and passionate contributor to Eurasia Review.

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