By James Amoh Junior, GNA
Accra, Nov. 10, GNA – Ghana and Slovakia are to begin immediate negotiations on a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and service passport holders to facilitate official engagements and strengthen bilateral relations.
The proposal emerged during a meeting between Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr Martin Podstavek, Slovakia’s Ambassador-designate to Ghana, who presented his Open Letters to the Minister on November 9, 2026.
Mr Ablakwa welcomed the proposal and reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to conclude the agreement, describing it as an important step towards deepening diplomatic relations.
He said Ghana already had similar visa waiver arrangements with several countries neighbouring Slovakia, including Serbia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with Slovakia’s willingness to enter into such an agreement, noting that Ghana had been actively pursuing visa waiver arrangements with friendly countries.
He said some of Ghana’s existing agreements had been in place for more than 30 to 40 years, making it necessary to expand such arrangements to other countries.
An agreement with Slovaki, he noted, would demonstrate the commitment of both countries to strengthening diplomatic relations and facilitating official engagements.
On defence and security, Mr Ablakwa expressed Ghana’s interest in a defence cooperation agreement with Slovakia, particularly to benefit from its expertise in the sector.
He disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama intended to establish Ghana’s first electronic warfare centre in the Northern Region, which could provide an opportunity for cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister said Ghana recognised Slovakia’s capabilities in the manufacture, servicing and maintenance of military hardware and was open to partnerships that would strengthen the country’s defence capacity.
He also noted similarities in the foreign policy approaches of the two countries, particularly their commitment to non-alignment and maintaining friendly relations with countries across the world.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana believed in building partnerships without creating unnecessary divisions and considered cooperation and unity essential to addressing shared global challenges.
For his part, Mr Podstavek proposed annual bilateral consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries to provide a structured platform for discussions on political, diplomatic and economic cooperation.
He said the consultations would also enable the two countries to coordinate their positions and strengthen collaboration within international organisations.
The Ambassador-designate noted that the absence of a direct communication mechanism between the foreign ministries had created a gap that regular consultations could address while providing opportunities to explore areas of mutual interest.
He also called for a review of existing bilateral agreements, particularly those relating to economic cooperation, observing that the two countries had not undertaken a comprehensive review of their treaties in the past 30 years.
On defence cooperation, Mr Podstavek said Slovakia had considerable expertise in the defence industry, including the manufacture, servicing and maintenance of military equipment and the modernisation of existing systems.
He said Slovak companies could support Ghana in areas ranging from advanced technologies to the refurbishment of older military equipment.
Mr Podstavek expressed optimism that discussions on defence cooperation could be advanced through subsequent engagements with Ghana’s Ministry of Defence.
He said Slovakia sought to revive and strengthen the longstanding ties of cooperation established between the two countries when they were part of former Czechoslovakia.
Mr Podstavek said Slovak companies were already collaborating with Czech businesses operating in Ghana, describing the relationship as complementary rather than competitive.
He noted that the presence of Czech businesses in Ghana provided opportunities for Slovak companies to establish partnerships and expand their operations in the country.
On economic cooperation, Mr Podstavek said Slovakia was expected to host a Ghana-Slovakia business forum within the next two weeks to explore opportunities in the automotive, banking and pharmaceutical sectors.
The two countries were also exploring possible cooperation in the supply of buses and the establishment of a vehicle assembly plant in Ghana.
The proposed initiatives were expected to provide opportunities for businesses from both countries to establish partnerships, exchange expertise and explore investment opportunities.
Mr Podstavek reiterated Slovakia’s interest in strengthening its economic presence in Ghana and reviving cooperation across sectors of mutual interest.
The meeting formed part of engagements between the Foreign Affairs Minister and four non-resident ambassadors-designate who presented their Open Letters on Monday.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: James Amoh Junior
