Accra: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, July 3, concluded his two-day official visit to Ghana at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama. He was seen off at the Kotoka International Airport by Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang before departing for Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, as part of his five-nation tour.
According to Ghana News Agency, during the historic visit, Prime Minister Modi engaged in bilateral talks with President Mahama at the Presidency in Accra. The discussions were followed by a joint press conference and a State Banquet held in honor of the Indian leader. Recognizing his distinguished statesmanship and global leadership, President Mahama awarded Prime Minister Modi with Ghana’s prestigious national honor, ‘the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’.
The visit was marked by the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. Notably, an MoU was signed for the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation between the two countries. Agreements were also reached between the Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, and the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, as well as cultural exchange and standards agreements between the respective standard authorities.
Further discussions led to requests for MoUs on vaccine manufacture, agricultural machinery supply, and defense cooperation. Prime Minister Modi’s second day in Ghana included a homage to the nation’s founding President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the visionary leader.
In a speech to the Parliament of Ghana, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary ties between India and Ghana. He was received by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and other parliamentary leaders, including the Majority and Minority Leaders. This visit marks the first by an Indian leader to Ghana in three decades, underlining its historic significance.