President John Dramani Mahama has received the Letters of Credence of 11 newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Ghana, with a commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation and advance the continent’s development agenda.
The ceremony was held at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
The envoys were from South Africa, Nigeria, India, Lebanon, Australia and Switzerland. The rest were the Netherlands, Finland, the Slovak Republic, Sweden and Thailand.
Assurance
President Mahama congratulated the envoys and assured them of the government’s friendship, cooperation and support as they begin their diplomatic engagements.
He said that despite differences in geography, history, culture and socio-economic development, Ghana remained connected with them by shared aspirations and friendly relations.
“As a peace-loving member of the UN, Ghana is committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter and its objectives for international peace, prosperity and the dignity of all people,” the President said.
He urged the envoys to identify new areas of cooperation that would benefit their peoples.
South Africa
Receiving the South African High Commissioner, Linda Vuyolwethu Shongwe, President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to their partnership rooted in the anti-apartheid struggles.
He congratulated South Africa on its G20 presidency.
Nigeria
To the Nigerian High Commissioner, Shehu ILU Barde, the President acknowledged the deep historical, cultural, political and economic ties between the two countries and proposed that the next session of the Ghana-Nigeria Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation be held in the first quarter of 2028.
India
Receiving the Indian High Commissioner, Surinder Bhagat, President Mahama commended the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s transformation agenda and acknowledged the outcomes of his 2025 visit to Ghana, including an MoU between the University of Ghana and the Zoological Survey of India.
The eleven newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Ghana
The President also cited India’s concessional financing, lines of credit, grants and technical cooperation with Ghana.
Lebanon
To the Lebanese Ambassador, Fouad Khazzaka, the President acknowledged the Lebanese community’s contribution to Ghana’s economy and encouraged expanded trade and investment.
He welcomed the Trilateral Peace Framework signed by Lebanon and Israel on June 26, 2026, and expressed the hope that it would end hostilities and restore Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Australia
Receiving the Australian High Commissioner, Keara Shaw, the President reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening their relations dating back to 1957, and expressed interest in a more strategic, investment-driven partnership in agriculture, technology transfer, industrial development and private sector collaboration.
Switzerland
To the Swiss Ambassador, Dr Thomas Oertle, President Mahama expressed appreciation for Swiss development assistance through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, which he said had created 45,000 jobs in agricultural value chains and trained 5,000 accounting professionals.
Netherlands
Receiving the Netherlands’ Ambassador, Johan Theodoor Marius Akerboom, the President recalled Queen Maxima’s recent visit to the country as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, and encouraged increased Dutch investment in industrialisation, innovation and value addition, citing the Dutch Good Growth Fund.
Finland
To the Finnish Ambassador, Sanna Selin, President Mahama expressed appreciation for their support over the years, and showed interest in Finnish expertise in manufacturing, innovation, green technologies and digital infrastructure. He appreciated the Framework Agreement and Finland’s public sector investment facility.
Slovak Republic
Receiving the Slovak Republic Ambassador, Martin Podstavek, the President encouraged increased Slovak investment in manufacturing, machinery, energy infrastructure, science and technology, and urged early conclusion of agreements on visa exemption for diplomatic and service passport holders and investment protection.
Sweden
To the Swedish Ambassador, Anna Westerholm, President Mahama conveyed Ghana’s gratitude for Sweden’s historical support for democratic governance, human rights, gender equality and poverty reduction, while welcoming the new BaseNord business hub in Accra as a platform for stronger business-to-business links.
Thailand
Receiving Thailand’s Ambassador, Thirapath Mongkolnavin, the President acknowledged investments by Thai Union Group and Indorama Ventures Packaging, and expressed support for a bilateral investment treaty and a Ghana-Thailand Business Council. He encouraged engagement on a proposed 12,000-hectare oil palm plantation and processing mill in the country.
