By James Amoh Junior, GNA
Accra, Oct. 6, GNA – Ghana will formally apply for membership of BRICS, a bloc of major emerging economies seeking greater influence in global economic and political governance, following Cabinet approbal.
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‎Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who announced this in Accra on Tuesday, said the move was part of efforts to diversify Ghana’s international partnerships and expand opportunities for economic development.
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‎He said the decision aligned with the Mahama administration’s vision of moving the country beyond economic stabilisation towards transformative growth, supported by diversified international cooperation, investment and industrialisation.
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‎“Another major highlight which I am disclosing to the Ghanaian people for the first time is that the Cabinet of President John Dramani Mahama has decided that Ghana should put in a formal application to join BRICS,” he said.
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‎Mr Ablakwa said the Government’s broader “new economy” agenda was anchored on seven pillars and required partnerships that would create jobs, attract investment and enable Ghana to derive greater value from its natural resources.
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‎He said membership of BRICS would provide additional development opportunities while complementing, rather than replacing, Ghana’s existing relationships with traditional development partners.
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‎“You do know that we are members of the IMF, we are members of the World Bank, and we are also founding members of the African multilateral financial institutions.
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‎”But BRICS offers us that opportunity to have options in development, and you want to have options,” he said.
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‎Mr Ablakwa said Ghana would maintain its existing partnerships while strengthening relations with other countries with which it shared longstanding historical, diplomatic, trade and investment ties.
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‎“We are not going to walk away from our traditional partners who value that relationship, but we must have new friends,” he said.
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‎The Minister identified India, Brazil and China as important economic partners, citing the growth in trade between Ghana and India, which he said had more than doubled from about US$3 billion in 2024 to approximately US$7 billion.
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‎“So this is an important partner,” he said, adding that China remained a major economic player in Ghana.
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‎Mr Ablakwa said the proposed membership would deepen Ghana’s cooperation with countries of the Global South and support the Government’s economic transformation agenda.
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‎He said the Government sought sustainable economic growth that would generate jobs, promote industrialisation and give Ghana greater control over the exploitation and use of its natural resources.
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‎“We want resource sovereignty where we can be treated as equal partners. We don’t want a situation where we continue to export raw materials.
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‎“We want to add value to the natural resources that we have. And we want to work with partners who have the same shared history and shared commitments,” he said.
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‎Greater competition among international partners, he noted, could benefit Ghana, adding that the Government supported a multipolar international system that allowed countries greater freedom to determine their development paths.
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‎The Minister said Ghana did not want its development choices to be unduly constrained by conditionalities imposed by a limited number of international institutions.
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‎He said the Government was preparing to submit the formal application and would seek the support of existing BRICS members.
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‎Mr Ablakwa said Ghana maintained excellent relations with the founding members of the bloc – Brazil, Russia, India and China – as well as its newer members.
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‎He said Ghana’s diplomatic missions and longstanding bilateral relations with those countries would support its engagement with the grouping.
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‎The Minister cited the historical ties between Ghana and India, recalling the relationship between Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
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‎He said both leaders had played important roles in the development of the Non-Aligned Movement and that Ghana and India had cooperated closely in multilateral affairs since the early years of independence.
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‎Mr Ablakwa said Ghana had formally sought India’s assistance in its bid to join BRICS and was encouraged by the response from Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, who is currently in Accra on an official visit.
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‎Dr Jaishankar said India understood Ghana’s interest in joining the bloc and had consistently supported the country’s aspirations and development goals.
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‎He said Ghana’s interest was understandable given the objectives of BRICS, which brought together countries from diverse geographical regions that valued independent thinking and freedom of choice.
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‎“BRICS itself is a gathering of countries who have a strong independence of thought, who want to have a freedom of choice, who believe that they’re coming together from very diverse geographies strengthens each one of them when they are part of a collective,” he said.
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‎Dr Jaishankar said the bloc’s message and appeal could resonate with countries across different regions.
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‎He said India was supportive of Ghana’s aspirations but stressed that the proposed membership would require collective consideration by BRICS members.
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‎“Obviously, this is an issue of collective consideration. So we have to see how that goes forward,” he said.
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‎BRICS originated as BRIC, comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, and was formalised at the first meeting of BRIC foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2006.
‎The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa joined in 2011, giving the bloc its current acronym.
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‎The group later expanded, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joining in January 2024, followed by Indonesia in January 2025.
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‎BRICS now comprises 11 full members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
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‎In 2025, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam joined as partner countries.
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‎The bloc serves as a platform for consultation and cooperation on global and regional political and economic issues, including reforms to international governance institutions.
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‎GNA
‎Edited by Kenneth Sackey
‎Reporter: James Amoh Junior
‎Email: [email protected]
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