Ghana and Russia have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, defence, agriculture and education following President John Mahama’s visit to Russia for the Third Russia-Africa Summit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
In a statement outlining the outcomes of the summit, the Ministry said Russia had agreed to work with Ghana to establish a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant to strengthen the country’s energy security and support industrialisation.
It said the proposed project would revive Ghana’s nuclear energy ambitions under the country’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, whose preparatory efforts were halted following the February 24, 1966 coup.
The Ministry also announced plans for a new defence agreement between the two countries to facilitate the acquisition of strategic military assets for the Ghana Armed Forces.
In agriculture, Ghana and Russia are expected to strengthen cooperation to increase grain production and improve access to fertilisers.
The statement further said Russia had agreed to increase scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students. It noted that Ghana currently ranks second among African countries in terms of the number of students studying in Russia.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, the Ministry said President Vladimir Putin had assured President Mahama that Ghanaians would no longer be allowed to participate in the conflict.
According to the statement, the position covers participation through irregular recruitment arrangements as well as voluntary enlistment.
The two countries have also agreed to revive their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), with Moscow expected to host the next meeting in the coming weeks.
The Ministry said the commitments were reached during direct discussions between President Mahama and President Putin at the summit.
It reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Russia, which date back to 1958.
