By James Amoh Junior
Accra, Feb. 27, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed that Ghana’s foreign policy remains a central instrument for advancing national development, safeguarding sovereignty and projecting the country’s values on the global stage.
The President, delivering the Message on the State of the Nation to the 9th Parliament, said at a time of profound geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty, climate-related challenges and evolving security threats within West Africa, Government had adopted deliberate and strategic measures to ensure Ghana’s international engagements were aligned with domestic priorities.
He stressed that diplomacy must serve the practical needs of the Ghanaian people, noting that foreign policy was no longer limited to political relations but increasingly intertwined with trade, investment, job creation, migration governance and security cooperation.
President Mahama said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had intensified efforts to synchronise Ghana’s external engagements with national development goals, ensuring that partnerships translated into tangible benefits for citizens.
On regional relations, the President reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to good neighbourliness and constructive cooperation within West Africa.
He emphasised that peace and stability in the sub-region were indispensable to Ghana’s own development trajectory.
He called for sustained dialogue with member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) following their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, warning that disengagement risked heightening vulnerabilities in a region already grappling with terrorism and political instability.
“Continued dialogue and cooperation are indispensable to regional stability,” he said, and underscored Ghana’s belief in collective responsibility and mutual respect as pillars of integration.
President Mahama said Ghana continued to play a principled and forward-looking role within the African Union, holding key champion roles on Reparations, African Financial Institutions, and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
He described Ghana’s election as First Vice Chairperson of the AU as a testament to the country’s credibility and diplomatic consistency, adding that such recognition reinforced Ghana’s influence in shaping continental policy directions.
On the global stage, President Mahama reiterated Ghana’s call for reforms within the United Nations system to reflect contemporary realities, particularly Africa’s representation in global governance and fairness in international financial institutions.
He announced plans to formally present a resolution to the UN General Assembly seeking recognition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as the greatest crime against humanity and advocating reparative justice and cultural restitution.
The resolution has already been endorsed by the African Union.
Beyond multilateral advocacy, the President outlined reforms aimed at strengthening consular services as part of a people-centred foreign policy.
He said seven new Passport Application Centres had been established in newly created regions, ensuring that all 16 regional capitals now hosted passport offices.
The expansion forms part of efforts to decentralise services and improve accessibility .
In addition, a 24-hour passport production operation introduced at the Ministry’s Head Office had cleared an inherited backlog of over 40,000 applications, resulting in a zero-backlog system and guaranteeing passport delivery within 15 working days nationwide.
President Mahama said the Ministry had also implemented a five-day visa processing service across Ghana’s missions abroad to facilitate travel, boost tourism and enhance business mobility.
Plans are far advanced for the rollout of a national electronic visa platform in 2026, aimed at modernising entry procedures and improving investor confidence.
He noted that Ghana had secured visa waiver agreements with 11 countries to deepen trade, tourism and diplomatic exchanges.
Touching on economic diplomacy, the President highlighted the historic 7.8 billion dollars recorded in remittances from Ghanaians abroad in 2025, describing it as the largest annual inflow ever.
He said the remittances not only reflected trust in Ghana’s economy but underscored the diaspora’s role as a vital development partner, contributing to education, housing, entrepreneurship and foreign exchange stability.
President Mahama reiterated his support for legislative reforms that would enable qualified Ghanaians abroad to participate more fully in national life, including eligibility to hold public office, provided appropriate safeguards were in place.
He noted that Ghana’s foreign policy would continue to be anchored on sovereignty, development and shared prosperity, ensuring that the country’s voice remained principled and influential in an increasingly complex global environment.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong