Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a landmark two-day state visit aimed at deepening the already strong ties between India and the West African nation.
In a rare and warm diplomatic gesture, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama personally received PM Modi at the airport. The Prime Minister was welcomed with a ceremonial Guard of Honour and a resounding 21-gun salute, underscoring the importance Ghana places on India’s friendship. This is Modi’s first-ever bilateral visit to Ghana and notably the first visit by any Indian Prime Minister in over 30 years.
Expressing his gratitude on social media, Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Landed in Accra, Ghana. I’m honoured by the special gesture of President John Dramani Mahama for welcoming me at the airport. Our nations look forward to working together to strengthen our long-standing relationship and explore fresh avenues for collaboration.”
The Prime Minister's Office also echoed the sentiment, calling the visit “historic” and praising President Mahama’s personal welcome as a reflection of the strong, time-tested bonds between the two nations. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the significance of this visit, calling it a “milestone moment” in India-Ghana relations. “This historic visit will deepen the partnership between India and Ghana and reinforces India’s commitment to bolstering ties with Africa and partners across the Global South,” the MEA said.
It was quite a joyous arrival. Members of the Indian community welcomed Modi with joy and patriotic fervour at his hotel. As dancers and musicians performed a vibrant cultural show to commemorate the occasion, chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Hare Krishna" filled the air.
Ghana plays a crucial role in India's outreach to Africa as a major voice in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In his farewell remarks, Modi called Ghana a “valued partner in the Global South” and expressed his eagerness to have a meaningful conversation while there.
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“I look forward to talks aimed at further deepening our historical ties and exploring new areas of cooperation—particularly in investment, energy, health, security, capacity building, and development partnership. As fellow democracies, it will also be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana,” Modi said.
PM Modi and President Mahama will have formal discussions during the visit to review the extent of their bilateral cooperation and determine how to grow it further, especially in areas like defence cooperation, energy cooperation, and economic development. The visit, according to the MEA, will reaffirm the two countries' shared commitment to strengthen India's wider engagement with the African Union and ECOWAS in addition to strengthening bilateral ties.
Following the Ghana visit, the Prime Minister will embark on the next leg of his multi-nation tour. From July 3 to 4, he will travel to Trinidad and Tobago. On July 4 to 5, he will visit Argentina. He is also scheduled to attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil, which will be followed by a state visit to Brazil, and finally, conclude his diplomatic outreach with a visit to Namibia.
PM Modi’s Ghana visit, laden with both symbolism and substance, aims to usher in a new era of India-Africa cooperation, bridging historical ties with forward-looking partnerships.
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