President John Dramani Mahama has called for an end to global conflicts, and commended his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for his willingness to resume trilateral talks on the conflict with Ukraine.
Addressing the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, which Mr Putin chaired, President Mahama said: “We appreciate your willingness to resume trilateral talks in respect of the conflict with Ukraine and your call for a lasting peace agreement and security for both Russia and Ukraine.”
He said conflicts around the world had caused deaths and suffering, and severely disrupted global logistics and value chains.
President Mahama also called for international cooperation against terrorism, especially in the Alliance of Sahelian States.
President Mahama invited Russian businesses to partner Ghanaian firms in agro-processing, fertiliser production, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, energy, transport infrastructure and the digital economy.
He pointed to opportunities in cocoa, cashew, shea nuts, horticulture, mineral processing and manufacturing, and said Ghana, as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, was well placed to support investors seeking opportunities across the continent.
Reaffirming Ghana’s non-alignment, he said: “We seek friendship with all countries and partnerships that advance our development priorities.”
The President said trade between Africa and Russia had considerable room to grow, and called for appropriate mechanisms for legitimate trade settlements, including local currencies and digital payment systems.
Energy sources
Describing the lack of adequate electric power as a major obstacle to Africa’s progress, President Mahama said Russia had a comparative advantage in renewable and nuclear energy.
President John Dramani Mahama (4th from left) with President Vladimir Putin (4th from right), and other participants in the event
He disclosed that Ghana had initiated discussions with Rosatom to establish the country’s first nuclear power station.
President Mahama recalled that the Soviet Union provided Ghana with a two-megawatt research reactor in 1964, while Ghanaian scientists were trained in Russia to operate it.
On food security, he called for reliable, competitively priced fertiliser, investment in local production and blending, and cooperation in soil mapping, precision agriculture and satellite-guided farming.
The President added that Ghana was prepared to explore a Russia-Africa Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Programme involving universities, research institutions, businesses and public agencies.
Solidarity
President Mahama thanked Russia for standing by Africa during colonialism and apartheid and for training thousands of African students.
“I am myself a symbol of the friendship of the Russian people, having had the opportunity to study here in Moscow on a full scholarship between the years 1986 and 1988,” he said.
As Ghana prepares to mark 70 years of independence next year, the President saluted Russia’s solidarity in the decolonisation of Africa.
He urged delegates to leave with “a clear commitment to action,” adding that “the most lasting expression of our friendship will be the progress our people can see in their communities and their lives.”
