Accra [Ghana]: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 6 meets Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Accra, with the two sides discussing ways to expand the India-Ghana Comprehensive Partnership across trade, investments, pharmaceuticals, capacity building, defence, technology and people-to-people ties. The meeting comes as Jaishankar begins his five-day visit to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia aimed at deepening India’s engagement with Africa.
Follow Defence Watch on LinkedIN
Jaishankar says India and Ghana share common development aspirations and historic solidarity as Global South partners. He also discusses strengthening multilateral cooperation and India’s engagement with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Ghana is a founding member of ECOWAS, while President John Dramani Mahama is set to assume the African Union chairmanship in 2027, giving Accra added relevance in India’s wider African outreach.
The discussions place defence and technology alongside economic cooperation, indicating a broader approach to India-Ghana ties beyond traditional development assistance. The agenda also covers pharmaceutical manufacturing, agricultural cooperation, industrialisation, job creation, IT partnerships and scholarships. Ghana has been seeking greater Indian participation in areas including local pharmaceutical and vaccine production.
Jaishankar also meets President John Dramani Mahama, conveying greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mahama and Jaishankar review the momentum in bilateral relations following Modi’s landmark Ghana visit in 2025 and discuss giving greater concrete shape to the Comprehensive Partnership.
The visit also produces two MoUs focused on South-South cooperation: one between the Zoological Survey of India and the University of Ghana for academic, scientific research and capacity-building cooperation, and another between ICAR and Ghana’s CSIR-Crops Research Institute for agricultural research and education.
The engagement comes as India seeks to deepen its economic, technological and strategic footprint across Africa while strengthening partnerships with countries that play important roles in regional and Global South institutions. For Ghana, deeper cooperation with India offers access to Indian capabilities in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, technology and defence, while giving New Delhi a stronger partner in West Africa.
(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)