Indian Premier arrives in Ghana today for state visit
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, will be in the country today for a two-day state visit.
The Indian Prime Minister’s visit will be the first in 30 years since an Indian Prime Minister visited the country.
The visit forms part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations between Ghana and India, which have spanned over six decades.
At a news conference in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the leaders of the two countries would hold bilateral engagement, sign many agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on various sectors of mutual benefits to both countries.
“The talks, as has been agreed, will focus on agriculture, health, defence cooperation and the establishment of a joint commission.
We will also hold talks on Ghana becoming the vaccine hub of Africa,” the minister said.
Mr Ablakwa added that the agreements to be signed would, among others, include an MoU between the Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine of the University of Ghana.
Parliamentary address
He said a state banquet would be held in honour of the Indian leader, where he would be conferred with the country’s highest honour, “the Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana,” stating that he would also address Parliament on Thursday.
Prior to his address to the Parliament of Ghana, Mr Ablakwa said Prime Minister Modi would meet with the Indian community in Ghana and also pay his respect to the memory of Ghana’s first President at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Describing the relations between the two countries as “a special bond of friendship” which commenced between Ghana's first President, Dr Nkrumah, and India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr Ablakwa said Dr Nkrumah and Nehru played a pivotal role in shaping global politics during the Cold War era.
“Together, they conceived the idea of non-alignment, a movement that aimed to promote peace and cooperation among nations without taking sides in the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States.
This initiative has been widely recognised as a significant contribution to global peace and stability,” he added.
He said the two countries had since enjoyed warm and friendly relations, built on a foundation of shared values and a common vision.
“The two countries have collaborated in various areas, including education, health care and economic development.
India has provided significant assistance to Ghana, including scholarships, training programmes and infrastructure development projects,” he said.
